Crimson Void
by UrufuKiba22
Summary: Hatred, Anger, Pain, Sorrow. Feelings not uncommon but still felt. These emotions can change the pure hearts of innocent people. Destiny is never set in stone.
1. Chapter 1

Hello and welcome to what I like to call Crimson Void. Now before this begins I'd like to get this out of the way first. Golden Shield Twilight Sword is still on but due to some disagreements between myself and my sources it will be on a small hiatus. Getting to the point I was given a plot line some time ago when I was working on Kyuubi's Gou, I can't remember who it was or when it was but I remember it was along these lines. What if Naruto wasn't a Golden Guardian, what if he was a Void or Chaos coat?

Feeling kind of dark at the moment I began writting a rough draft of the story and found out it was actually an interesting read. This is something I did on a whim and if you like it then I will continue otherwise I will delete it and never revisit this idea ever again. Thank you for your time and I hope you enjoy the first chapter of the story Crimson Void.

"Speech"

_'Thought'_

_**"Kyuubi"**_

_(Disclaimer)_

_**Chapter 1: Living With an Open Wound**_

_And Lo, the heavens opened and he wept. His sorrowful crimson tears cleansing the world of those who did not deserve the gift of life…_

It hurt, it burrowed into his very soul and brought more tears to the surface than even the oldest and most experienced shinobi, from Genin to Kage, had shed throughout time. The words cut deeper than any blade could ever dream of touching. The stares burrowed into him deeper than any drill. The whispers were like an assassin's blade, meant to hurt but nearly silent as they came.

His existence hurts…why couldn't he just cease to be?

He had seen parents love their children, praise them and promise them things that would no doubt come true. He was a child, where were these things when those around him got them so freely? He had nothing, no mother nor father to give him life and meaning. No brother nor sister to give him advice and support. No family to give him love…all that was left to him was a name.

His name hurts…why can't it be anything but Uzumaki Naruto?

He had seen the strong be acknowledged for their strength or personality. He stood tall and proud, a full body mask covering head to toe hiding his pain thoroughly. He orchestrated some of the most elaborate and amazing pranks known to them but the most that got him were curses and calls of demon child. This was better than nothing so he continued, hoping that maybe just once he would get something more than that.

His heart hurts to beat…why couldn't he just die?

He would have laughed at the irony if he could, after all the death threats and wishes from the populace to die he just couldn't. He had taken a knife to chest and his throat only to awake the next day with a scar and a whole lot of blood. He had done as many physical things to himself as they had done to his psyche…and yet he was still alive, in the physical sense that is.

His life hurts…why was it like lying on a bed of nails?

So when the masked ninja burst into his room at night and stabbed him clean through the chest all he could do was stare sadly and say, "I've done it a thousand times before…it won't work." The ninja was prosecuted and forced to quit by the Hokage who tried to reassure Naruto. He could only smile that goofy grin and say it was ok. It was a strange sort of revenge watching the ninja being led away with a ghostly white face and wide eyes claiming the child was immortal.

His soul hurts…why was it tainted so?

Tonight must have been the final night; it must have been under the villages near unanimous vote. He awoke to the smell of ash and smoke; opening his eyes he came to the realization that his world was indeed crashing down around him. Surround him were flames, they had devoured almost the entirety of his room and were slowly crawling up along the sheets of his bed to his form. He smiled wryly, he hadn't tried this before maybe it would work.

He closed his eyes just as the flames touched the tips of his fingers, ready for them to burn to a crisp. Suddenly it all vanished. The heat, the smell of the smoke, the sounds of the roaring inferno, it had disappeared completely. In its place was a cold chill, the smell of water, the dripping of a fluid filled pipe…the complete opposite of what had been.

He opened his eyes to find that he was sitting on the bottom of a gigantic crimson pipe; water covered the ground all the way up to his waist. It took him a moment to realize the water was as cold as ice so to remedy that he stood up earning the sloshing of the water and an unexpected growl from farther down the corridor.

Looking around he figured, "this must be death…not as cool as I thought." He began a trudging march down the hall, his mask long gone as his face was locked in an emotionless stare. He was his true self, a child haunted and hunted by a village that hated the fact he was alive. A cold emotionless little boy who hadn't know what love was but stopped himself from hatred, he only wanted to be known. It took him a while, a full half an hour, before he reached the end and when he did he muttered, "I didn't think there'd be this much walking when you're dead."

**_"You aren't dead, at least not yet,"_** snarled a voice from nowhere. Looking up he found that he had ended up before some gates, gates a couple miles tall and about a mile wide, with hundreds upon hundreds of somewhat thin bars and a paper declaring a seal over the what looked like the lock. In a flash a massive clawed paw slammed into the bars, rattling the room but they had just missed stabbing Naruto clear through his spiky blond haired head.

Naruto didn't budge, he didn't even blink as he said, "you missed." He took one step forward and pressed his forehead to the massive claw that was just before his nose causing a large cut to open up on his forehead. Suddenly the claw pulled back before Naruto could do more and from behind the bars two massive blood red orbs appeared, staring at him with a mixture of disgust and anger.

_**"You sicken me,"**_ growled the creature while the bloody headed Naruto smoothly replied, "and you look like you were hit with the ugly tree when you were young, we share something in common." The creature growled and threw its body at the bars only to be thrown back with a blast of blue chakra, **_"if I could get out I would kill you!"_** "Afterwards I would thank you," Naruto said with a calm and even voice without any hesitation whatsoever.

The creature snarled at the brats seeming arrogance and attitude, **_"you are weak; you can't even stand up to those who hate you."_** "Why should I care what you say?" hissed Naruto angrily finally showing some emotion from the cheap shot the demon took on him. Seeing the somewhat satisfied look on the monsters face he produced his true self and commented, "look at you held behind bars thinner than I am. What are you anyway?"

The creature produced a massive grin and let loose some killer intent attempting to scare the boy but only succeeded in making him tap his foot in impatience, he had seen it all before so why would he care? The great beast chuckled and declared, _**"I am the great Kyuubi no Kitsune, greatest of all Biiju and before you ask we are inside your body. That's right, I am sealed within a pathetic excuse for a human by it's even more pathetic father because no pathetic human can beat me."**_

He expected many things from the human most of it being surprise at all of the new information. However all he got from the now bloody faced child was, "you like the word pathetic don't you, you damned piece of demon shit. For all I care you can rot in me for all eternity as I die, that'll solve a lot of problems you dumb shit." Kyuubi stared wide eyed at the foul mouthed child with something other than hatred; it was pure confusion and surprise.

Did he actually just call him that! No…NO WAY IN HELL WOULD THE GREAT BEAST STAND FOR IT! **_"DAMN YOU CHILD!"_** growled the beast as its body radiated crimson chakra that slowly seeped from its cage to the seal attempting to snap it as it had so many others in its blind rage.

Naruto stared at what the demon was doing and quickly figured out what was happening. Even if he was doomed to die by whatever the demon was doing at least it would be interesting to watch.

He settled down cross-legged to watch the show causing the beast to grow even angrier…

* * *

It was mess, the streets littered with shinobi and civilian alike screaming words of hatred and anger toward the now burning home. Many of the ninja in the crowd decided to take it one step higher and induce Katon jutsu along with some explosive notes to give a show to the public, the slaying of the demon could be entertainment also. There was Sake being spread from shop owners to those present they heightened the already elated mood, not that it was needed but it was there.

The shouts soon brought company, over all unwanted but at the time they already couldn't be stopped. In a flash a powerful wave of killer intent spread over the crowd, they turned to face a very, VERY furious Hokage. He hadn't even bothered to rid himself of his robes. He was staring down a couple hundred ninja and civilians in his pajamas with an angered look that could only come from demon, a demon like the one that they were burning.

"WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" howled the Hokage but suddenly his own rage was suppressed under something much, MUCH more powerful…

* * *

Naruto watched as the Kyuubi's chakra went to work dismantling the seal swiftly and with no tact at all, trusting the raw hated and power to protect him completely. **_"WHAT DO YOU THINK NOW HUMAN!"_** snarled the Kyuubi with enough force to blow Naruto back just a bit even though he didn't react except for a small shift of his seating, **_"QUAKE IN FEAR OF MY POWER!"_** Naruto was silent for a few moments then grinned a calm and even grin, "well I would be scared…if I didn't think you were going to die right now."

Kyuubi's eyes shot open and watched its crimson chakra, the long tendrils that were picking at the seal suddenly froze completely. The effect quickly spread through all of his chakra and eventually his form freezing him in place. The Kyuubi's eyes stared in horror as the crimson was slowly overcome with a pure white gleaming chakra that slithered up the tendrils and to Kyuubi's form, overcoming it completely in its pale grasp. Before it was completely swallowed by the white energy the Kyuubi gave a strangled scream of pain.

"Well Kyuubi this was fun," Naruto said as he got to his feet, "maybe I can finally g-" Naruto found himself incapable of speaking as a massive band of ghostly white chakra engulfed his head in its grasp, pulling him towards the cage. For once in his life he struggled against the most likely deadly force, from what he had heard from the Kyuubi he didn't want to die like that…

* * *

The ninja stared in awe and horror as the blaze they had begun grew five times the size all by itself and took on a blood red hue, becoming a beacon for nearly the entire ninja world with its raw energy. The Sandaime began to quake, feeling not only the chakra and power rising from the flames but also the aura of utter hatred and death seeping from its crimson vapors.

Suddenly a scream interrupted the stares and all watched as one of the crowd, a merchant who had refused Naruto service on many occasions and when he did give the starving boy service he grossly overcharged him, pure and simple melted bone and all. They all watched as the crimson vapors of the flames landed upon his skin and just like that his body began to melt with great pain if the scream was any indication.

That was all it took for the mob to run like the cowards they were, all that left was the old Hokage as he watched the flames and crimson vapors grow larger and thicker. He was frozen by so many conflicting emotions all he could do was stare in horror as the crimson mist flowed closer to him, wrapping around him with a good foot radius isolating him without any way to escape.

However as he watched the bloody mist close in on him he chuckled cynically, two Hokage's down by one demon. It was almost poetic…then again he was getting on in years and seeing what the village had done to that poor boy. He guessed there was no more use for a man with a heart in Konoha anymore seeing as everyone else had either torn theirs out or sold it.

Slowly the mist wrapped around Sarutobi's form but where it had melted the merchant it merely passed along his flesh, caressing his old and brittle bones with a power much more mysterious. He winced in surprise as he felt a warm wind pass through his body, the crimson mist passing through his flesh and blood as if he were noncorporial.

He felt a tingling sensation in his palm and he held up a hand to his face as he watched his winkled old flesh began to expand and become more elastic, taking a much more youthful appearance than what it had been. His eyes widened as he felt his hair grow longer, bangs covered his eyes gradually changing from grey at the tips to a deep rich brown closer to his head. He felt his joins looses, his muscles grow, his energy triple…had he grown young?

He heard a chuckle in his mind; it was low and deep but with a touch of a tone he knew all to well, _"consider this a once in a lifetime gift Ojii-san. You're the only one who deserves anything like it."_ He looked all around for the source of the voice but found none. _"Come in Ojii-san,"_ called the voice, _"my home is open to you, I only want a few words."_

Sarutobi took a shaky step into the mist but only felt that warm breeze caress him so he continued on, going through the crimson flames as if they were mere updrafts of warm air. Sarutobi entered the heart of the blaze seeing the demolished building however sitting in the very center was a bundle of blood red and pitch black.

The Hokage took very careful steps over the demolished parts of the building, finding it much easier with his younger form, and found the crimson and black mass was a living breathing fox. The fox was a good five feet long even without the four tails and while it was at the moment lying down it had to stand about three feet tall or more. Its body was covered in blotches and stripes of crimson and raven black coming to end at four black and red tails that waved casually behind him. In all it looked to be a good ten feet long from its nose to the tips of its tails.

The fox suddenly turned his head to the Sandaime revealing its face and its eyes, one a haunting crimson while the other was like looking into a dark well. There was no white at all, just a pitch black orb where a cerulian blue eye should have been. Above both eyes was a small mark of white going across his head like a Hitai-ate in his very body. "Hey Ojii-san," the fox spoke with that gruff voice that had invaded his mind only a few moments ago, "so how do I look?"

Sarutobi's mouth opened in shock, "Naruto…oh dear gods is that you?" The fox chuckled and began to shift, pulling its body from the ground to a standing position revealing it WAS about four feet tall, "yes it is Ojii-san. Kyuubi tried to escape but-" "**K-KYUUBI!**" Sarutobi shouted surprised at the development making the fox now named Naruto wince.

"Please don't do that Ojii-san," Naruto said rubbing the side of his face with his paw, "that really hurt my ears." "I-I'm sorry Naruto," Sarutobi said with a worried look on his face. Naruto smiled the way only a fox can and spoke, "it fell to the seal Ojii-san. Its body is now mine along with most of its memories and enough power to make me a four tail. It was too angry at me to take the time to work the seal off gradually and it backfired."

"I don't know what to say Naruto," the Sandaime spoke over the flames, joy flooding his tone as tears spilled from his eyes. "I have plenty to still say," Naruto said turning his head from Sarutobi to his flames, the roaring inferno being reflected in his crimson eye. "I'm going to be leaving," Naruto said and before Sarutobi could speak he held up a tail to stop him, "they hated me for the beast so what will they do when I really am one." The Kyuubi was gone but…Sarutobi was suddenly hit with the burden Naruto now truly carried. It was so much heavier than his last.

Naruto chuckled sardonically, "Even though I'm powerful enough to crush any of them they'd still see me as nothing." Naruto turned to Sarutobi with knowledgeable eyes, eyes of one who has seen true pain either through his own or the experiences of another, "that is why I gave you the gift Ojii-san, your youth is yours for another couple decades. You're the only person I felt was ever close, you really are my family."

Naruto grinned, "I know my father sealed that monster in me so can you fill in the gaps?" Sarutobi was shocked but got over it swiftly, after what had happened recently he was used to these shocking turns, "your mother…she died from the combination of childbirth, stress, and an illness that could only be conceived in her families blood." Naruto nodded slowly, "that answers so much. Thank you…Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi chuckled, "it's Ojii-san Naruto, good luck." Naruto bowed his head, "thank you Ojii-san. Be sure to take care of this village…I will be back to see how good of a job you did. Oh and let them think I died, it'll be fun to see them react." Naruto turned to the wall of flames that he had determined was his exit. In the blink of an eye he burst through the wall of flames creating a massive explosion coupled with an earth shaking shockwave that nearlyknocked the Hokage down.

"Gods speed Naruto," Sarutobi muttered finally feeling the effects of his reversed aging on his body, "but I doubt you'll need it..."

* * *

"The Kyuubi," spoke the Hokage known worldwide as the professor for his knowledge of all Konoha jutsu, "has been defeated." A chorus of cries and shouts rang throughout the village, those who were not in on the secret only looked around in confusion, in other words the children watched the confusing behavior of their parents. "However," spoke the Hokage," the boy known as Uzumaki Naruto is now dead."

He was on the receiving end of many looks, an obvious duh from the adults while the children were confused or just didn't care what Naruto had to do with it. The most they knew about him was that he was a kid just starting the academy and he was damn annoying. This was the mentality shared by almost all except a young raven haired boy and a white eyed little girl.

Sarutobi hung his head, "seeing as the young child has passed I feel compelled to lift the law holding back the truth...ALL of the truth." Gasps were heard all around and the Hokage spoke up, "Uzumaki Naruto was one of the greatest hero's of Konoha. He alone was the reason why the Kyuubi no Kitsune was defeated."

"The child was the demon himself!" came a shout from the back of the group splitting it in two revealing the two biggest clan heads, Uchiha Fugako and Hyuga Hiashi side by side. The Hokage trembled, his now younger body giving off waves of power. He had yet to reveal his form; he had placed a thick many layered Genjutsu upon his form that was even beyond the Sharingan's piercing eye.

"How can you say that," the Hokage hissed angrily but Fugako and Hiashi continued with twin shouts of, "the beast was the boy biding his time to kill us all / we should rejoice both of their passings!" Suddenly they were both face to face with a very angry Hokage, "you best hold your tongue before I cut it off."

"Uzumaki Naruto was a hero," said the Hokage his voice rising in volume, "it was through his willpower and manipulation of the fox's rage that allowed him to kill the fox within his own body at the expense of his own life! He, along with his father the Yondaime mind you, are the greatest heroes this village has ever known!"

This sent a shockwave through those gathered, the information they received was far too much to process all at once. A certain dark haired little boy smirked; he knew there was something else to the blond idiot than what was on the surface. He even noticed that there was just too much depth to be ignored but…he was now gone and that made his smirk be replaced with a frown. Too bad…

The young white eyed girl's eyes sparkled hearing the power the Hokage claimed the young boy had held. He was powerful, enough that her father HAD to recognize him as something other than an annoyance. Just as quickly her attitude fell, he had died in his quest to save the village just as his father had. No matter how powerful the family being dead was dead. No one noticed her pale violet eye dull just a bit…

"From this day on I shall recognize Uzumaki Naruto as a true hero," the Hokage said turning away from the stunned Uchiha and Hyuuga leader, "giving everything to protect this village is what every leaf shinobi, especially the Hokage, does on a daily basis. I want to thank him for putting up with the hatred he faced in this village."

The Hokage's tone took on something much darker, "I hope that by the end of tonight you will all realize that Naruto could have released the beast. By letting his guard drop and giving up all hope he could have let the monster back in this world and nothing could have stopped it." Ignoring the shock exuded by the crowd he turned and began to walk, leaving the crowd to their own devices with his final words, "I hope you realize that the one you should hate is the Kyuubi for killing the two greatest heroes this village has ever known…"

* * *

He took one look at the village, a small glance over his shoulder before turning around with a grin so wide it could have swallowed the moon. He now had real power, thousands of years of knowledge that no human ever knew, wells of energy so deep he could barely see the bottom, an '_instructor_' in the form of a small five tailed fox that held the last few eons of knowledge within his tiny figurative skull.

He was strong now, stronger than the most seasoned of Chuunin and several Jounin. All he needed was time and maybe an accomplice…

_**End Chapter**_

Welcome to the begining of the end. I'm sure there will be several questions as to what the hell just happened so I will attempt to answer them the best I can.

1. **Naruto's age?** Six or seven I'm not quite sure.

2. **Kyuubi losing its head?** I figure that in the begining years Kyuubi hated Naruto like no other but since he didn't know enough about the seal he didn't try to break it. With enough pushing on Naruto's part he could have easily forced the foxs hand into attempting a premature breakout resulting in Naruto gaining more power than he would have if Kyuubi had bidded his time and tried to study the seal before he broke it.

3. **Over the top anger by the village?** I wanted to write this is adark and regretful piece, this is a darker Naruto Universe than my other story.

4. **Reversing age?** That will be explained along with Naruto's fox coat and most everything else.

That is all the information I can give away right now so thank you for reading and if you want to see more then drop a review. I'll take ALL suggestions of this into deep consideration but Golden Shield Twilight Sword is still my prime concern. This is just something to pass the time and get some of my darker emotions out, thank you.


	2. Kuugeki

Hey, there people. I'm still having dissagreements so you get another chapter of this story instead. I can tell you it is pretty fun. Well thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy...I have a feeling the first chapter will be the darkest but we'll see.

"Speech"

_'Thought'_

_**"Kyuubi"**_

_(Disclaimer)_

_**Chapter 2: Kuugeki**_

As time rolled on it saw many changes flow through the village.

The academy grew dimmer, no annoying laugh or outrageous prank had been or ever would be pulled again. On the wall of the homeroom of one Umino Iruka there was a small plaque with the picture of a smiling blond haired young boy. Below the picture of the Cheshire child it read, "in memory of Uzumaki Naruto. Son of the Yondaime, may he rest in peace."

In death he had gained more respect than he had ever commanded in life, many of those who once saw him as a monster now saw him as the young boy who had toppled the giant completing his fathers work. They would bow their heads at the small ceremony held for the boy and every year following when the anniversary of the boy's death would come around. There were those saying the monster still lived, laying low under the guise of death but years later they recognized their mistake and begged forgiveness.

There were no more secrets to be held in the village, everyone knew the boys parents and what had been his condition. His father's enemies felt satisfaction when they heard tell his son had died without ever giving birth to an heir so they ceased whatever vendetta they held, a victory was a victory no matter what the conditions. The village regretted their past actions but there was no true way to apologize, they could only stew in their guilt as they felt a certain loss in their daily life.

Iruka's class was dull, a few times soon after the child's death when a student was sleeping he would accidentally call them Naruto only to catch himself and hold back his tears. They were not only tears of sorrow but regret, he too had treated the boy as the terrible monster and not as the lonely student he also was at one point. That fact made him sick to his stomach with disgust directed solely upon himself. When the day came to allow the children to graduate he called them in one by one letting those who passed walk through the door with a brand new Konoha headband…there were no failures.

Kakashi had become later than normal, using his excuses to cover up for his visiting of three graves instead of just one. During each visit he would sigh and apologize to the two additional graves, telling them that he would never let something like this happen ever again. As long as he drew breath no child would suffer as Naruto had, as the son of the Yondaime had. He would be four hours late instead of two but in his mind…did it really matter?

Each and every Jounin of this new group of Genin watched their student's grow exponentially during their first year and soon allowed them to enter the Chuunin exams. This turned out to be a mistake of one of the highest calibers. While all nine of the rookie teams passed the forest of death they knew something was wrong with Uchiha Sasuke…

Uchiha Itachi destroyed his entire clan, fleeing the village to join the Akatsuki under the guise of testing his limits. Uchiha Sasuke was forever traumatized, obsessed with the death of his brother more than anything he trained and trained but…none were up to his desired level. No matter the skill he eventually found a way to humiliate them and it began to sicken him.

He wanted a challenge, a rival, a true test of his own power. He found that in the face of a grass Genin, a clever ruse created by one Orochimaru to claim the boys' eyes for his own. Afterwards all Sasuke could think about was the power the man named Orochimaru possessed and the power he had granted him with a curse seal placed upon his neck.

During the preliminary tournament the Hyuga's fought, Neji easily trouncing the silent heir to the point that she was near death…she had no courage, no motivation and no confidence. The only reassurance she received were the halfhearted cheers from her teammates. Misguiding superficial support, they knew she couldn't win no matter how much luck she had or what miracles visited her. This was something she knew long before the fight began.

Her already dim eyes grew even duller and she fell into the roll of a puppet, an emotionless machine that obeyed without question whatever training regiment or goal her father placed before her. She became a stronger and in essence more ruthless, able to surpass her younger sister and quickly gaining ground on her cousin in the short month after the preliminary fights. Despite this new found strength she had no soul of her own, her dull white eyes spoke of the sadness of her heart while her lips never moved except to eat and breathe.

The black rings around her pale eyes expressed the fact she rarely slept, the training her father and the council gave her was too rigorous for sleep. No matter what her mental condition her father and the council approved, if she couldn't be a good leader than at least she would make an excellent marionette.

Neji still despised the main house, he hated Hinata and how she allowed them to use her as their puppet but no amount of hateful glares or words solved a thing. All she would do would look back at him with that irritating sorrow filled gaze never speaking a single word. He would then challenge her to a match, something she would accept with a brief nod of her head. Each time he would win but he found it harder and harder to do each day.

Sakura became more violent than ever before. She had no outlet for her rage, weather it be jokingly or seriously. This pent up rage was bound to explode at one point so when the match against her once best friend began she didn't waste time and carried it out with sickening precision and anger. Ino never saw it coming…it was doubtful if she would ever see correctly again.

Kiba became too arrogant for his own good, falling victim to an attack that placed both him and Akamaru in the hospital for an undetermined amount of time. He lie on his hospital bed praying that Akamaru would live; he had taken the brunt of the strong blow for his foolish master. Kiba regretted it all and began to cry, praying for anything to save his canine friend. He received news the next day that Akamaru would recover but they were uncertain if he would ever be the same.

When the attack on Konoha began many were so surprised they were left wide open when the Suna soldiers attacked their homes and civilians. The Kazekage did have some powerful children, a Kunoichi who had control over the wind with her massive fan while her brother commanded puppets that could have rivaled the infamous Akasuna no Sasori in skill. Many knew the Kazekage had one last son but he had been missing for many years…

Orochimaru ambushed the Hokage, feeling absolutely certain he would easily destroy this old shell of the man he once called master. The Hokage smirked at his student's arrogance and stupidity, he may have found a solution to death but he was never to close with Genjutsu. Dispelling his complex and powerful illusion he saw Orochimaru's already pale face blanch, he felt it was time to fully punish his student for his transgressions against humanity.

The Hokage walked away from the battle with deep cuts and such covering his body along with numerous broken bones but…Orochimaru crawled away without a right arm and leg. He was lucky enough to escape Sarutobi's renewed strength and skill with a distraction concocted by his personal bodyguards. The Hokage quickly healed what he could and placed his Genjutsu on as one would don a rain coat, it was time to aid the village as only the 'god of shinobi' could.

The Sound and Sand forces were repelled; it was quite easy when you had so many competent shinobi in one village and you finally gained your bearings after one large cheap shot. However that didn't mean all was well; many had died in the invasion severely cutting down Konoha's resources and shinobi. Tsunade was gathered to aid in the village's reconstruction and training of the next generation. It took Jiraiya, Sarutobi, and many other high ranking ninja to physically drag her back then convince her to stay.

It didn't take that many words to convince Uchiha Sasuke of their cause, the curse seal was working on him just like any good puppet master would their prized puppet. However while they were leading, then eventually carrying Sasuke, from Konoha to the boarder they ran into some trouble they expected and some they didn't. They did expect to be followed but after the Jounin they were tailed by Genin, they felt just a bit insulted. Jiroubou was the first to stay behind, using his dome of earth to feed off the chakra of their opponents.

Kidoumaru was the next to fight, apparently Jiroubou was too weak and he was needed to fight. He let the other two go and faced the group, taunting them with his skill and intelligence. In a moment of arrogance he accidentally allowed the others pass by while facing the white eyed Hyuga. He grinned maniacally to himself as he activated his curse seal to its second level; this was as good as over.

Sakon and Tayuya were next, battling the bug user and the genius respectively. Sakon and Ukon found fighting the bug user was much more difficult than they thought. Since his bugs could devour chakra and they knew the difference between the masters' chakra and an invading source they couldn't destroy his body from the inside out. That left only pure force and power at their disposal, something that at their second level curse seal they had in spades.

Tayuya saw Kimimaro take the barrel from the genius and the spandex wearing freak easily, claiming he was the closest to Orochimaru's dream seeing as he was moving on pure willpower alone. He pet the barrel caringly and said that the container held an even more important part of that vision. Like that he was off with the green freak following leaving Tayuya to battle the genius, something she was sure that her spirit demons would have no problem with.

* * *

They watched the battle rage on between the green freak and the bone user, the bone user was strong but so was the green freak. When he let his weights go they watched the bone freak be bounced around as though he was a toy, the speed that the green being possessed was outclassing the white haired bone user easily. Suddenly they saw the bone freaks shirt fall and he revealed a curse seal, it spread over his body and soon he was moving at the speed of the green beast matching him blow for blow with his own 'dances' as he liked to call them.

The green freak was being worn out, his body being pushed to the limit to battle this beast. Without warning the barrel that the bone user had held began to smoke, emitting a thick purple mist that unnerved the green one and made the bone user smirk. Seconds later the container exploded in a shower of wood and paper offering to the world a Sasuke transformed by his own level two curse seal burning away his chakra and free will. The Uchiha smirked and clenched his fist, feeling the raw power flow through him before he turned and became a blur of speed.

Suddenly the taller of the two chuckled and said, "would you be so kind as to help the green guy, I think he's about to die. I'll go fetch the runner." The second nodded, "as you wish Nobu-sama." "Oh please," the being laughed lightly, "you know by now to call me Nobu-san." With that they both vanished, one in a raven black blur while the other was clouded in a whirlwind of sand.

* * *

Lee was kneeling on the ground, panting and wincing as with every pulse of his blood rose a new pain into his already battered and crushed form. He stared in awe and anger as the bone freak easily stood up, he looked as though he wasn't in any pain whatsoever as he took a few steps toward Lee.

He held up his fingers and said in that calm voice, "Teshi Sendan." From his fingers came his distal phalange bones, flying and spinning towards Lee's head. He sighed and thought, "this is it. I have to use that move…" He concentrated, feeling deep within himself for the doors that would release his body's stores of Chakra. Before he could open those massive gates an immense wall of…SOMETHING flew in front of him and intercepted the bullets stopping them in their tracks despite their added drilling attribute.

Lee's head spun around and he viewed something he would never forget. Standing behind him with crossed arms was a shinobi youth, no older than himself he was guessing. The boy was wearing a wide brimmed hat that covered his head in a shadow light enough to be seen through. His eyes were a light emerald while his shoulder length hair was the color of freshly spilled blood and just above his left eye was a tattoo of the word love.

He was garbed in a long sleeved floor length deep crimson coat giving off a dark and vaguely sinister look about him. Wrapped around his waist and over his shoulder were a pair of tanned leather sashes, they held a massive beige gourd onto his back. Under the coat he wore normal ninja armor but what was unique was the long string with metal tags he wore around his neck, the seals imprinted in the metal were the most complex Lee had ever seen in his life.

It was the same condition with his gourd however there was only one enormous complex seal on the top bulge and it was quite a bit different than the others. The ninja wore long black pants and high topped black sandals that concealed his legs entirety. On the strap of his gourd was a Hitai-ate that portrayed a foxes head with a small mark on its brow.

"Wh-who are you?" Lee asked with wide eyes, staring at this being that simply radiated a chakra so dark and ominous that it made his stomach turn. "I am known as Sabaku no Gaara," Gaara said as his sand wall lifted revealing the level two seal Kimimaro in all his quiet rage, "and if you value your life you will allow me to kill this man. I have been given orders and I intend to follow them…"

* * *

Sasuke grinned wickedly, his madness growing by leaps and bounds with each moment the second level curse seal was in effect. He finally had the power he wanted; he finally had what he needed to defeat that monster of a brother. He finally had a village of fighters strong enough to give him a challenge. He finally had a true master that would make him grow!

He winced in pain and came to a stop feeling the seal on his neck burn. He looked at his hand and saw the darkness of his skin fade and the black flames return only to begin shrinking, the seal had retuned to low level one. Sasuke thought for a moment then shrugged, he supposed it wasn't anything too major.

He could always return to that second level state since he already knew the path. After all would he truly need to walk around flaunting that power constantly? Well yes but he could figure that out when he came to it. With those thoughts he continued at a somewhat slower but overall fast pace toward the boarder.

When he reached what was known world wide as the Valley of the End he saw something that he did not expect. Seated a few feet from the edge of the chasm was a figure, his entire body was shrouded in mystery and his head was covered with a large wide brimmed Kasa that had white papers covering the rest of his face and hair.

Sasuke snorted at the being, he didn't know what his game was but he didn't really care. He was strong enough that if the being decided to be stupid and try to stop him he could easily overpower him. Feeling ballsy at the moment had walked right out of the woods intent on passing by the figure without even acknowledging his existence, as is the arrogance of madness and the madness of arrogance.

He seemed to march past the being, not even getting nor giving a word to the seated figure whom seemed to stare out into the nothingness through the paper of the Kasa. Sasuke scoffed and examined his route deciding that the chasm was the quickest path to his power he was about to leap down until he heard a voice, low and gruff but with a vaguely friendly edge to it, "so a curse seal huh? Pity, I was thinking you were strong for a minute but you're just a weakling avenger."

Sasuke grit his teeth and forced the seal to spread farther, getting closer to the second level as he turned to face the cloaked person, "who the hell do you think you are." The being sighed and said, "I've got a lot of names but you can call me Nobu-SAMA." Sasuke growled and formed a few hand seals, creating the Chidori in his left palm as he said, "I call no one sama. The only one who deserves respect is me!"

Sasuke vanished in a blur, his Sharingan eyes blazing with but only two tomo as he charged the seated being with amazing speed. The man known as Nobu sighed as he rolled his neck allowing a few cracks to pierce whatever air was not being taken up by the chirping of a thousand birds, "superiority complex up the ass." Sasuke reared back his left hand and with all of his strength thrust the Chidori towards the heart of the seated man. When the explosion cleared there was a massive crater in the ground, seated next to it was Nobu with his hand holding Sasuke's wrist and thus hand to the edge of the crater.

Sasuke gritted his teeth and saw Nobu's hand on his wrist, a tan skinned hand with claw like fingernails. "I like the spunk," Nobu said as he slowly stood revealing his height to be a few inches taller than Sasuke, "but the attitude has to go." Sasuke growled and pushed his chakra higher, forcing his body to morph into the hideous form of level two activation.

Sasuke violently pulled his hand away and leapt back, forcing two hand like wings to sprout from his back he began to hover. Instead of turning and fleeing for the land of sound his anger won out and just as he had before he began to form a Chidori in his palm. "I'll kill you bastard!" growled Sasuke as in his palm formed a darker and even more powerful assassination weapon, roaring with the sound of a thousand birds.

Over the sounds of bird, over the beat of his wings, over the sound of his blood rushing through his ears he heard Nobu whisper; "he left a lot to be desired." Sasuke growled in fury and sped forward, his hand like wings beating furiously attempting to gain speed in the vicious freefall. Nobu smirked behind his Kasa and held out his hand, allowing Sasuke to watch with his activated Sharingan as wisps of crimson and midnight black chakra were emitted from his opponents open palm.

Sasuke stared in rage and disturbed amazement as the mist like chakra gathered into a sphere in Nobu's hand creating a ball of pure black with only faint stripes of red here and there, "Kuugeki Tama." Sasuke growled and forged ahead, plunging the Chidori into battle with the pitch black ball but…no matter how hard he pushed the ball didn't move not in the least.

Nobu chuckled low in his throat, "do you even know what a void does? It sucks up everything and anything close to it...now who's touching it?" Sasuke's eyes opened wide and he saw what Nobu was talking about. The darkness Chidori, his most powerful jutsu, that had once flowed around his arm was now reduced to a small glow that his hand held. In the blink of an eye even that vanished leaving him with his palm resting on the inky black ball.

Seeing his greatest offense being dispelled so easily he attempted to flee but found his hand was stuck, he couldn't pull it back even the slightest distance from the dark orb. He hissed in pain as the color of his skin drained and his body shifted forms against his will, the darkness of his level two fleeing his form and being absorbed by the dark ball. The black flames that now covered his body succumb to the same fate, being pulled into the void sphere with excruciating pain earning a loud piecing scream from the throat of Sasuke.

At last Sasuke was back to his normal form but he was still screaming in agonizing pain as the curse seal moved from his neck to his arm and eventually his palm. A sickening crack was heard as the mark reached his palm, breaking from his skin and being pulled into the black ball he gripped in his open hand. When it was all over he was just barely standing, his limp hand sliding off the orb seeing as it had gotten what it wanted.

It wasn't long before he collapsed, having nearly all of his chakra pulled from him along with having the curse seal torn from his body and soul was too much for him to handle. Nobu chuckled and looked at his ball of pitch black, feeling the information of the heaven curse seal and the young ninja he just defeated flow directly into his mind before the orb dispersed in a mist of black vapor.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Nobu said turning to face the fallen boy, "this will be very interesting." Nobu bent down and hoisted the boy up onto his shoulder, turning from the sound to Konoha with a slow and even walking pace. Sasuke made no movements other than soft breathing and occasional twitching; Nobu began to hum a little tune to pass the time…

* * *

Gaara stood above the field of bone spikes with Lee kneeling next to him, before the pair was Kimimaro ready to strike but his body had just given out on him the exact moment he was to deliver the 'killing blow' to Gaara. He now stood as a statue, his face holding not the look of a killer but of something far more tortured. Lee stared in fear at the beast that Kimimaro had become but he questioned Gaara's sanity as he got closer to the body, looking into the eyes of the dead titan before clasping his hands in prayer and bowing his head, "rest in peace Kimimaro-san."

Gaara reached out with one hand and slid it over Kimimaro's eyes, closing them for good. Lee looked up to Gaara in confusion while Gaara merely said, "him and I are similar. He fought for someone who saved him from the loneliness but…his attachment was misguided as was the man he chose to follow. I wish him only peace in the afterlife…still it would be far better for him to rot in the bowels of hell than to live the life he had under the man her fought for."

"Gaara-san," called a voice from the edge of the bone field. Both heads turned to see the cloaked being holding Sasuke laugh loudly and said, "spouting off another one of your sermons? Can't I leave you alone for five minutes without you going off about that?" Gaara frowned but before he could argue back Lee shouted in surprise while pointed at the body draped over Nobu's shoulder, "Uchiha Sasuke! How did you get him?"

The being looked at Lee then chuckled, "introductions first Midoriiro-san. May I ask what your name is?" Lee was shaken but said, "Rock Lee." The being smiled and said, "well Rock Lee I'm guessing you came from Konoha correct?" Lee nodded slowly, "we received a five man mission to retrieve Uchiha Sasuke…and I made a personal promise to bring him back." The being nodded, "well if Gaara-san would be so kind as to get me on one of his flying dirt clots then we can be back in no time at all right Gaara-san?"

Gaara rolled his eyes and said, "as you wish Nobu-sama." The being groaned as a thin layer of sand lifted him off the ground until it became thick enough to easily stand upon, "it's Nobu-SAN Gaara, SAN." Gaara chuckled and they were off, flying across the land at an alarming pace for flying chunks of crushed rock. Lee was severely confused at this turn of events but thankfully exhaustion hit and he passed out upon the flying bed of sand he shared with Gaara.

* * *

The procession into Konoha was an odd one to say the least. Even though there were not that many ninja awaiting the arrival of rescue team those who were we incredibly worried. Sakura was at the head of the group, her hands clasped in prayer for Sasuke and for Lee who had made 'the promise of a life time' to retrieve the Uchiha. Behind her was Kiba, holding onto Akamaru who was still nursing his injuries but was as curious as his master was about what had befallen their friend Shino.

Standing beside him was Hyuga Hinata, her dull black ringed Byakugan staring out into the world beyond the gates in an attempt to catch some glimpse of the team. She had come here on request by Kiba; he hoped that her Byakugan would be enough to spot hospital level trouble if it was coming.

Standing at the gates but far away from Sakura was Ino, praying for her teammates return but warily eyeing Sakura every few moments. Her right eye was bandaged while her left still had a bright shiner around it. Tenten was beside Ino wishing the same thing for her teammates, Neji and Lee better pull through or when they were reincarnated she would kill them.

Suddenly Hinata shifted which Kiba caught in his peripheral vision. He turned to her with a questioning glance, "is it them or is it trouble?" With a simple hand gesture Kiba grinned wide and said, "hey guys! Hinata says they're back!" Those who had been in a somewhat relaxed position jumped up and prepared to receive the heroes.

First through the gate was something very unexpected. First came a small round orb that resembled a floating eyeball and behind it, resting on a bed of what looked to be flying sand, was Neji and Chouji. Chouji looked deathly thin and Neji looked like he had been used as a pincushion for kunai and arrows. Limping in behind the severely injured were Shikamaru and Shino, Shino was leaning on Shikamaru using him as a crutch as he walked slowly and with a prominent limp.

The next one through the gates was a boy, later known as Gaara, carrying Lee over his shoulder since his gourd was still on his back. One of his eyes was closed but suddenly the ball of sand collapsed and he opened his remaining emerald orb to the world. Lastly was the cloak and Kasa covered being, eventually called Nobu, with Sasuke on his back sleeping peacefully.

Lee was beaten and battered but he looked much better than either Neji or Chouji, those two being taken by their teammates to the hospital immediately after being received. After the two teams had left Shino was pulled away by Kiba leaving Hinata to give Nobu a dull white eyed stare before following her teammates silently. In the action Tenten had grabbed Lee but Ino had forgotten Shikamaru leaving him with the secondary heroes Nobu and Gaara and the fan girl Sakura.

In all only Gaara, Shikamaru, Nobu, Sasuke, and Sakura remained. Nobu chuckled and pulled the sleeping Sasuke from his back, holding him out to Sakura with an odd voice, "I think this belongs to you. Lee-san went through a lot but I can say he kept his promise." Sakura accepted the Uchiha heir looking him over only to find that he just had severe chakra exhaustion along with some minor bruises. She turned her head up and looked at Nobu who smirked behind his Kasa and said, "you might want to get him to the hospital with the others, total chakra exhaustion CAN be deadly."

Sakura nodded and turned on her heal, racing off with Sasuke in her arms leaving only Gaara, Shikamaru, and Nobu there. Shikamaru glanced between the two and decided to speak up, "I don't really care but who are you and why did you help?" Nobu looked to Gaara who nodded and said, "I am Sabaku no Gaara." Nobu turned to Shikamaru and spoke, "and I'm called Nobu and before I answer your other question mind taking us to the Hokage?"

Shikamaru stared at the two for a moment then nodded, "come with me, I can put off healing a broken finger for now…how troublesome…"

* * *

He had been engrossed in his paper work ever since he learned about Uchiha Sasuke's apparent defection from Konoha to the Sound. The constant meaningless tasks were the only things that could take his mind off the events that had been happening. Apparently Orochimaru placed one of his curse seals on the boy and now due to the dark influence the seal had on his mind and soul he had gone to Orochimaru for power.

To make matters worse due to the invasion that Orochimaru had orchestrated they had a shortage of ninja. Taking that into account with the property damage and the many other problems that has been surfacing in Konoha and he was getting severely over worked. Even if he did have a younger body than his Genjutsu showed it was very taxing on him and his energy. He was not in the mood to be ticked off right now but apparently the fates were against him in even that respect.

Like an explosion his doors were slammed open revealing a cloaked figure with a wide brimmed Kasa, his arms were out showing he was the one that had opened the door. Behind him stood a young man, which he would later learn was Sabaku no Gaara, rolling his eyes at the cloaked being foolishness. Lastly there was a familiar face, Nara Shikamaru, his face betraying his bored outlook on life as it was freely showing his shock at the cloaked beings behavior.

The cloaked man walked up to his desk, as casual as if he had been in charge, and said, "what's up Hokage-sama, hear you're doin a bang up job here." The Hokage grit his teeth and said in a forced calm tone, "whoever you are, get out now." The cloaked figure only laughed and said, "Ojii-san, you should really watch who you're talking to."

The Hokage was close, ready to jump up and destroy the cloaked figure, that was until he grabbed his hat and pulled it from his head. Sarutobi nearly had a heart attack…

**_End Chapter_**

Well how was that? I do realize that it isn't that dark, a fact I realized soon after I began writting it. I just can't keep a glum mood going forever so there will be some funny stuff. You know, a mix of everything. Q and A?

Q: Don't forget the other story!

A: I won't I promise.

Q: Pairings?

A: Those who have read my story know my preference but I will be open minded here. Personally I don't think a Void Kitsune would allow themselves to be tied down to just one, it would constrict their freedom. I do, however, have a restriction on how many are involved and WHO is involved. In other words No Sakura, No Tenten, obviously No Tayuya, No Yaoi...and I think I'll consider most else ok? Good.

Q: Naruto's atitude?

A: It will be explained soon...hopefully.

Q: Haku a girl?

A: ...ah what the hell. I'll put a bar on this one, give me three more requests andsure it'll happen.

Q: Before you say it "how could Sarutobi beat Orochimaru?"

A: ...the man was called the God of Shinobi in his prime. Orochimaru faced him when he was an old man and had a good fight...please put it together.

Well that's all for now, thank you for your time and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Later.


	3. A Hero Returns

Hello, this is yet another chapter of what I like to call "Crimson Void." As of right now my friend and I are still in dissagreement but I am meeting with them tonight online in an effort to end this problem. Those who have been reading "Golden" will have to wait just a bit more and I'm sorry for that. For now I hope you enjoy another chapter of "Crimson Void" and I thank you for reading. Remember to review now.

"Talking"

_'Thought'_

_**"Kyuubi"**_

_(Disclaimer)_

_**Chapter 3: A Hero Returns**_

Sarutobi stared in amazement and his jaw could only hang as he said, "Naruto?"

Standing before Sarutobi was that goofy smiling Naruto that he remembered from so long ago. His canines had grown longer but it was still the same wild grin. However his face looked older, more mature and sculpted than the few years he had been gone could cause. His grin lessened revealing that one crimson slit pupil eye but the other, the right, was hidden behind a black headband that he had tilted to the side. The cheek marks that had become his tradmark becoming thicker and more noticable than before.

Inspecting more of Naruto's features he noticed that Naruto's hair was no longer a brilliant golden yellow. Not unlike the Kitsune he met in that burning home Naruto's hair was a mixture of jet black and bloody crimson creating a very interesting combination. His hair was shoulder length and had even wilder spikes, if he could see over Naruto's shoulder at behind his neck he would have seen the low ponytail that vanished into the collar of his cloak. On the sides of Naruto's head were his ears, slightly elongated to a point and covered with a thin layer of black and red fur that made him look almost feral…if he weren't grinning like a moron.

"Oh by the gods it is you," Sarutobi said in joy as he stood and walked around to the side of his desk holding out his arms to the boy. Naruto nearly jumped into the seemingly old man's arms giving a strong hug, "it's good to see you Ojii-san." "I hate to interrupt but what is going on?" rose Shikamaru's voice, he tried to hide his surprise but all it made him do was crack his tone.

Gaara smirked and closed his eyes as he bowed his head, "it's a reunion if I ever saw one." Shikamaru was about to say something but the Hokage spoke, "Shikamaru can you close the door. If anyone is going to know I think it would be best if you did." Gaara's head snapped to face Naruto with questioning eyes but Naruto only smirked and nodded, "it's no problem Gaara-san, he may stay."

Shikamaru closed the doors while Sarutobi cast a jutsu secretly, allowing only those present in the room at the moment to hear the conversation. Shikamaru joined the others not really ready for the earful he was about to get. Sarutobi explained the whole story, from beginning to end of who and what Uzumaki Naruto, now going by the name Kuugeki Nobu, truly was. Shikamaru was stunned for the fourth time today, he never knew but then again with what little clues were dropped he wasn't really surprised in the grand scheme of things.

Sarutobi finished with a smile, donning his Genjutsu once again seeing as he dispelled it once during the story to illustrate the truth of his tale. "So what do you think of me Nara-san?" Naruto questioned as he sat in a chair by the side of the Hokage's desk. Shikamaru stared into space for a bit before he put his fingers, broken and non, together in his trademark thinking position.

"What kind of hand seal is that?" questioned Gaara who was leaning on the wall of the room. "That's not a hand seal," Sarutobi said solemnly, "that's an indication that he is taking this a bit harder than I had hoped." Moments later Shikamaru's eyes snapped open and he said, "I've run it through several hundred times in my head."

He gave a light smile, "it is nice to finally meet a Hero of Konoha even though it is under these troublesome conditions." Naruto grinned and said, "Hero of Konoha, never been called that before but it feels good. It's been a pleasure meeting you Nara-san, possibly we can be friends in the future but right now I think you'll need this." Naruto vanished in a blur and reappeared in front of Shikamaru, grabbing his injured hand with his own that glowed with a crimson flame.

Shikamaru was amazed and frightened but when he felt no pain from the hand clutching his own he decided to watch. He watched as his broken finger snapped again with an audible crack but he felt no pain. He could see the bone moving back into place but his hand was numb save for the slightly warm breezy feel that seemed to pass through his flesh rather than over it. In time Naruto let Shikamaru's hand go and said, "there you go Nara-san. Hand's all better."

Shikamaru lifted the uninjured limb to his eye and inspected it, finding no trace of even so much as a scratch he nodded and said, "I think it would be far too troublesome and idiotic to ever get on your bad side Uzumaki-san." Naruto smirked, "that's not for public use, that goes for you too Ojii-san. My name in this village will be Kuugeki Nobu until I think they deserve to know the truth."

The Hokage nodded and dismissed Shikamaru while Gaara excused himself, he wanted to use the bathroom and allow the boy and his grandfather to reunite after so long. "So how have you been Ojii-san," Naruto asked with a bright smile making Sarutobi chuckle, "fine and yourself?"

Naruto grinned and said, "well I can safely say that this will be popular very soon." Naruto then pulled from his cloak a small Hitai-ate, on its metal plate was the outline of a fox head with a small mark on the forehead. "Naruto, what is that?" Sarutobi asked pointedly as he indicated the cloth and metal band with an extended index finger.

Naruto laughed lightly and said, "I'm not trying to start a village if that's what you think. It's for me to recognize my…subordinates." Sarutobi twisted up his face in confusion, "subordinates, is that what you've been doing?" Naruto grinned and without warning his cloak fell from his shoulders finally revealing his body in its entirety. Just as Gaara was he was garbed in a floor length coat but instead of a deep red it was a pitch black with tears at the bottom so ragged and wild it gave the impression of black flames flowing from the bottom of his coat.

Under the coat Naruto wore a crimson shirt with steel fish net underneath and around his neck he wore a necklace with small metal plates, each one holding a seal identical to the ones on Gaara's own metal plates. Naruto's pants were similar to Gaara's but his sandals were not as high leaving a small amount of his leg showing. Around Naruto's waist was a wide belt of black and red fur, he guessed Naruto made it himself seeing as it was in Naruto's color scheme.

Going across Naruto's chest from right shoulder to the left side of his hip was a wide crimson leather strap with smaller minor straps going over his left shoulder for extra support. The thick strap of colored hide was special in the fact that it had small pockets and pouches along the front and attached to the back was a sword in a crimson sheath, a fact Sarutobi found odd since Naruto's cloak gave no indication of a weapon. The oddest part was that the sword couldn't be any longer than three and a half feet long, the blade in the sheath most likely being two and a half while the leather wrapped handle was fully one. Why was such a large strap needed for that size of a sword?

Naruto noticed Sarutobi's stares and chuckled seeming to read Sarutobi's mind, "the cloak is special in that it never shows if the person wearing it has something large underneath." Naruto smirked and turned around revealing a few things that nearly made Sarutobi have another heart attack, "like these."

Waving from Naruto's backside were six somewhat large and obviously dexterous fox tails, each one colored a mixture of black and red like Naruto's hair. The tails twisted and waved behind Naruto, apparently showing off for the old man before they fell into a formation and lined up looking like almost one gigantic tail welded together from the six individuals.

Looking up to Naruto Sarutobi finally saw the low ponytail Naruto had hidden inside of his cloak. The tail itself was down to almost the base of his fox tails; it was the same mixed color of his hair obviously but was covered from the starting point on his head to five inches down with tightly wrapped black bandages. The ponytail, when wrapped in the bandages, was a good inch or so diameter and flared out towards his tails.

As Naruto turned around Sarutobi watched in amazement as the belt that Naruto had worn reappeared, his giant six tails turned one wrapping around his waist to form the wide yet surprisingly thin strap. He didn't know when Naruto had unraveled those tails but if an enemy wasn't put off by Naruto's shows of outward appearance and obvious power then those tails would EASILY do the trick.

"…I can't think of a thing to say Naruto," Sarutobi said with a look reminiscent of a grandfather's proud smile, "you certainly have changed." Naruto chuckled as he decided to take a seat, sitting comfortably even with the sword on his back, "I've heard you've done the same. Beating Orochimaru until he only had one arm and leg? Tisk, tisk, Hokage-sama! I thought you were a peaceful man." Sarutobi gave off a shit-eating grin as he sat, "well what can I say? He was arrogant enough to think he could beat an old coot like me…you should have seen his face when I lifted the Genjutsu!"

Naruto snapped his fingers, "damn I wish you had a camera." Naruto shrugged, "oh well the time for that has passed. Personally I'd love to see his face when he learns his curse seal is gone." "What do you mean," Sarutobi said with hope flooding his tone and a sparkle in his eyes, "gone?" Naruto grinned and held up his palm, effortlessly forming his Kuugeki Tama without a second thought, "I call it Kuugeki Tama."

Sarutobi stared at the ball much as a professor would at his student's final exam, "what exactly does it do?" Naruto sighed, he thought the man was a genius but then again this was something unique to him and him alone. He had to cut the man some slack, "tell me Ojii-san what does a void do?" Sarutobi only needed a few seconds of thought before he sagely replied, "it devours anything and everything that comes within its reach pulling it into a mysterious oblivion."

Naruto nodded, "exactly. This little wonder eats whatever chakra or special seals and drugs the victim has used and in turn I learn everything about it, I can safely say that I know everything there is to know about the heaven seal and Uchiha Sasuke. Too bad I have to stay rooted to the ground when I use it or it could eat my chakra and knowledge without touching the opponent."

Sarutobi was silent for a long time making Naruto worry just a bit until he grinned and said, "so are you going to explain these 'subordinates' or am I going to have to treat you to ramen first?"

* * *

Gaara stood outside the office for quite a while, an hour or so, willing himself to not listen to the sounds coming from the office of the Hokage. For the first half hour he had found conversation with the ANBU guards, a man and woman, stationed outside the doors. They were somewhat kind and very curious about whom Gaara was. However anything referring to Nobu he refused to disclose. After the short discussion it was complete silence and he was getting impatient.

Instead of losing his mind by holding himself back from listening to the conversation he focused on his mission and objectives as given to him by Nobu. They were complex and to a point irritatingly tedious but he was sure it wouldn't be hard. Nothing could override these orders except for Nobu's own contradicting word. A while into mulling these thoughts through in his mind a voice interrupted him, "Gaara-san."

He turned his head to view Naruto's smirking face, Naruto decided he no longer had a use for his cloak and Kasa while Gaara rather liked the shade his hat provided. Naruto's smirk was still present as he spoke, "we are now part of Konoha." Gaara nodded, he suspected as much, "what team will we be on Nobu-sama?" Naruto sighed, both at the use of sama and what he was going to have to say, "Gaara we will not be on a team together."

Gaara's face was emotionless, he knew Nobu's jokes all to well and at times they were just not funny. It took a moment but when he realized this was no joke his eyes widened slightly in shock and puzzlement, "Nobu-sama…I don't understand." Naruto gave Gaara an apologetic smirk as he whispered far below human hearing, "Gaara-san I need eyes on the outside, on a different part of the ladder to go out and make…contact with the net the Kitsune and Tanuki have laid."

Gaara frowned but bowed and spoke with a slightly saddened tone, "as you wish Nobu-sama." Naruto sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder causing his head to snap up, "hey don't think we're never going to see each other my friend. Kind of hard when we're going to share the same bathroom don't you think?" Gaara quirked an eyebrow, "we will be living together?"

Naruto smirked wide allowing his elongated canines to show, "Sarutobi got hold of…HIS modest estate for me; it should be more than enough room for all four of us." This statement rose questions in the two ANBU guards who vowed to find out more lately. Gaara's face was emotionless for a moment until he cracked a small grin, "so who are your team mates?" Naruto chuckled, "remember that lovely batch that met us at the gates…"

* * *

It was quite a solemn attitude in the Konoha Hospital, so many Genin locked within its sterile and white washed walls smelling of blood and medicine. To anyone it was sickeningly ironic that this was supposed to be an institution of healing yet it could make one ill with the smells alone. It didn't help knowing that one of their own was teetering on the very edge of death as they themselves recovered.

Akimichi Chouji was beyond critical, he was pretty much on his death bed when the medics, headed by the great Tsunade herself, went to work on him. It had been hours since Chouji vanished through those operating doors and yet no word had been sent out, the red light still glared at them mockingly refusing to die and allow the suspense to end.

Neji had come back not to long ago, his operation being not as complex as Chouji but certainly being a handful for the staff. He was wrapped up like a mummy; the only thing not covered was his head and those nearly constantly glaring eyes. When asked how he felt by Tenten he barked out he was fine, startling her and making her feel horrible for disturbing…whatever was wrong with him.

Shino was rushed through with only a few cracked bones and exhaustion, Kiba vowed that he would stick with Shino as long as he could and Hinata agreed, under request of course. Lee was treated for broken bones and complete exhaustion but otherwise he was fine and under Tenten's care which he accepted unlike the stuck up Hyuga. That was until he passed out once again from his battle.

That left Sasuke…the problem case. He now lie on a hospital bed, held down with not only leather straps but also steel shackles and chains. He had a few IV's going into his arm along with a Chakra replenishing medicine but otherwise he was fine, unconscious while Sakura sat by his side praying for his health and sanity.

Oddly enough this little rag tag group of misfits were all together in the same room, four hospital beds with one last one open for Chouji when, not if, he came back. The mood was glum and frequently hatred was thrown across the room from on Hyuga genius to the heiress who only stared back with those hollow milky white eyes. That was not the only anger, every so often the Uchiha was served the exact same looks yet…they also held pity.

Ino and Shikamaru sat in the emergency center waiting room, Shikamaru watching the red light above the door intently while Ino wrung her hands in her lap. Neither one wanted to see Chouji go, he was too sweet and kind for that sort of fate. Sure he was a pig and a slob but he was very loyal and good friend…they wouldn't trade anything in the world for him.

"Well fancy meeting you here," rang a voice Shikamaru recognized immediately. He turned and was suddenly face to face with Nar-Nobu. Shikamaru, for the first time that Naruto saw, glared and spoke with a dangerous edge to his voice, "this is not the best time Nobu." Naruto raised his head and turned to see the operating room's light glowing bright red, "Oh!" He turned to the two and bowed with his hands clasped in prayer, "my apologies. I didn't realize."

"Indeed," Gaara said behind Naruto as he too had his hands clasped in prayer, "Nobu-sama tends not to notice the emotions sorrow and anger." Ino looked between the two and then at Shikamaru before she piped up, "who the hell are those two?" Nobu faced Ino and bowed, "my name is Kuugeki Nobu and my associate and friend is Sabaku no Gaara. We were the one's that aided this team in their retrieval mission."

"Well um," Ino said with a surprised and oddly blushing face," it's nice to meet you." Naruto smiled, "like wise…eh what is your name?" "Ino," Ino said holding out her hand, "Yamanaka Ino." Naruto smiled and took the outstretched palm, "ah, a Yamanaka. A very unique family and it explains the association with Nara-san. Am I correct if I guess that Akimichi-san is in there?"

Both nodded solemnly while Naruto and Gaara's gazes met, a small smile forming on Gaara's lips while Naruto quietly sighed. Naruto took a step back so he was side by side with Gaara confusing Ino and Shikamaru as to what was happening. In remarkable tandem they clasped their hands in prayer and bowed their heads, "Akimichi-san is now forever in our prayers."

The two waiting for Chouji stared for a moment before Ino asked, "do you always do that?" Naruto sighed and scratched the back of his head as he stood up straight, "Gaara-san demands we do it whenever we find a worthy case." Gaara produced a small grin while Naruto continued, "thank the gods we only run into two or three every couple of years."

"You just don't enjoy praying for others good health Nobu-sama," Gaara defended making Naruto sigh, "It's Nobu-SAN Gaara, SAN!" "Um…" Ino began, "I don't know if this is a lovers spat or what but could you move it down the hall?" Both ninja froze and Shikamaru had to clasp a hand over his mouth, it just wouldn't be right for him to laugh. Can't laugh, can't laugh, can't laugh!

Naruto turned with agonizing slowness until he faced Ino with shaky calm, "I can assure you that Gaara-san is not gay and neither am I. If you are referring to our familiarity-" "There is something too deep for you to comprehend Yamanaka," Gaara growled in fury as his fist clenched and his ominous chakra grew, "something FAR from what your mind can grasp." Ino shook from fear of the rage Gaara exhibited and Shikamaru forgot long ago what was so funny. The raw emotion and power this guy emitted was insane and if he called Nobu, Nobu-sama that meant Nobu was far more dangerous.

"Eh heh," Naruto said grabbing hold of Gaara's shoulders and turning him to the hallway, "you go cool off for a moment Gaara-san, I won't be but a moment." Gaara reluctantly left much to Ino and Shikamaru's relief. Naruto sighed and wiped the line of sweat from his brow, turning to Ino and Shikamaru he spoke, "trust me when I say never mention anything related to love around Gaara…it's something that's very touchy for him."

Both nodded quickly, not really trusting their voices at the moment. Naruto scratched the back of his head, "but I understand you didn't know and I'm sorry for his outburst…I know I'll make it up to you Yamanaka-san." Suddenly his right hand was glowing with crimson fire and Ino was instantly afraid. "Don't worry Ino," Shikamaru said as calmly as he could, "it may look terrible but it works."

Ino gulped and nodded, attempting to keep her cool as Naruto drew closer with his hand of crimson flame. "I promise Yamanaka-san," Naruto said softly as he placed his hand over her bandaged eye, "this will not hurt in the least." Suddenly Ino felt the oddest sensation of a warm breeze blowing over her face, caressing her cheeks with gentle warmth and flowing through her hair like the summer breeze until it all took a turn for the weird.

She felt the warm breeze pass through the bandages over her eye and even her eyelid, going deeper and deeper until she felt the warm breezy feeling caress the very out of her inner eye. It flowed gently over her injured orb, making the dull chronic throb that had been vanish into the warm numbness. She felt so relaxed at the touch she nearly fell asleep; it was just so gentle despite the vicious and powerful aura it gave off.

Gradually Naruto drew his hand back and with it left the warm breeze, the crimson fire on his hand fading as he grinned and said, "there, all better Yamanaka-san." Ino looked up to whom she knew as Nobu and quickly reached for her bandages, tearing them off as swiftly as possible allowing her now repaired light blue orb to view the world in perfect vision. She closed the eye that had used to be her only one and confirmed what she hoped. She wasn't dreaming, she could see out of the once dead eye.

"W-wow…" Ino said as her vision dropped to her hands that rested in her lap. She was able to watch with perfect twenty vision as drops fell from her nose to her palms, she was crying before she knew it. "They told me I'd never have this eye again. Thank you so much Nobu-san!" she looked up to find he was already gone while Shikamaru pointed to the red light above the operation door…it had gone out.

* * *

"Let me guess Nobu-sama," Gaara grumbled, "you gave her the use of her eye again." Naruto grinned wide allowing his canines to show, "set the seeds when most vulnerable Gaara-san. Besides she looked like she needed a good pick me up." "Did you actually…" Gaara began to question but Naruto's grin fell into a small smirk, "you should know me and my jokes by now Gaara. She has neither use nor need for it…all I did was a good deed and nothing more."

"Besides," Naruto said with a soft and slightly regretful tone, "I already set more seeds than I care to account for and I need to rack up some good deeds." Gaara nodded solemnly, "as you say Nobu-sama." Naruto was walking just a bit ahead of Gaara leading the way with brief movements of his body or even a full blown turn. Gaara was silently thinking to himself as Naruto did the same, for some reason the last topic of conversation turned the silence into a tense one.

"Would you look at that," Naruto suddenly said with a small smile over his shoulder to Gaara, "we're already here." Naruto grasped the handle and pushed…

Suddenly all eyes were on the door, those who couldn't turn their heads either waited or in Neji's case activated his Byakugan with what little chakra he had. Through the door walked an oddity of a person followed by one of the ninja who aided in the retrieval of Uchiha Sasuke. "Afternoon," Naruto said with a smirk, "how are all of you doing?"

He was quickly on the receiving end of many glares; something that Gaara didn't take all that lightly as he easily evened it out with his own aura and chakra. Feeling the boost of killer intent and knowing Gaara's personality Naruto turned to face Gaara with held up open palms. "Gaara-san," Naruto said in exasperation, "I'm trying to find a team here not to kill them!"

Heads shot up but Tenten was the fastest to the draw, "team? Who are you and what are you talking about?" Naruto sighed and thought to himself, _'I feel as though people have been repeating this one line all day.'_ "My name is Sabaku no Gaara," Gaara spoke up as he crossed his arms and leaned against the far wall, deciding his part of the conversation was over.

Naruto grinned at the assembled group and said, "they call me Kuugeki Nobu and as to what I'm talking about. I'm new here and I'm looking for a team to show me the ropes of Konoha…"

**_End Chapter_**

Well that's that, let's go right into Q and A.

Q: Haku?

A: Haku is a male, I only recived two requests and three was the minimum. Sorry.

Q: Naruto pairings?

A: For those who have read my stories then you know all to well what side I am aligned. You can expect one pairing obviously but I found one within the reviews that I am VERY interested in. I'm not going to reveal it but I hope it will be very, VERY good.

Q: What does Nobu mean?

A: Nobu means expansion so his name in whole, Kuugeki Nobu, means Void Expansion.

Q: Naruto's attitude?

A: That will be explained in the not to distant future.

Q: Why not Tenten?

A: I just personally never see it, I have no idea why people pair them up. No offense but it's just not my forte, sorry.

Now this question is posed to you, the reader and reviewer.

Q: What about Gaara?

A: (this one is up to you)

Well that is all for now. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed, remember to review. Later.


	4. Inspection

Another day another chapter of this story. Well I met with my friend and we worked a few things out and I'll be working on the next chapter but fornow my focus will be on this story. It has kind of grown on me and I'd like to see it in a more advanced light. Keep in mind that I will NOT abandon ANY story, Golden will be finished hell or high water but it will take just a bit longer than I thought. Thank you for reading this and I hope you enjoy, remember to review please.

"Talking"

_'Thought'_

_**"Kyuubi"**_

_(Disclaimer)_

_**Chapter 4: Inspection**_

"What do you mean team to show you the ropes?" Kiba questioned with honest curiosity, "I heard that Gaara was the ninja who helped Lee beat his opponent. That must mean you were the one to track down and beat…Sasuke." Naruto grinned at the coat covered boy, "wow nothing escapes you. I'll keep your in mind…name?" "Inuzuka Kiba," Kiba said and held up his small bandaged pup with hesitance, "this is Akamaru."

Naruto looked him over for a moment, his single crimson eye seeming to pierce Kiba's soul before he said in a deeply serious tone, "I can see by the way you speak with regret and the injuries on your shinobi dog…you were either stupid, arrogant, or a mixture of the two." When Kiba hung his head Naruto added, "but it looks like you've recognized your mistake. Still…no offense but not something I need for my team."

"Who do you think you are," rose a growl from one of the beds earning Naruto's full attention. He turned his head to see the white eyes of Neji glaring him down, filled to the brim with hatred so hot that if it were anyone under Jounin it could have killed them. Naruto instead stared directly into those blazing white eyes as they attempted to kill him with a mere stare. Suddenly his lips split in a grin that could be categorized as legally insane and his crimson eye took on the gleam of someone suffering from a psychotic episode.

"I can see, no…_FEEL_ your hatred from over here. I can read the pain in those icy white eyes of yours," Naruto said with that insane grin of his, "get over it and maybe then we'll talk." "You can't talk to him like that!" spoke Tenten her anger thick as she brought forth a Kunai from her pouch. Naruto eyed her for a moment, his insanity suddenly gone in a haze of indifference, then shrugged, "weapons master right? The way you hold your kunai and how swiftly you reached for it gives you away. No thank you but I don't need a weapons specialist."

Once again Naruto looked around the room and caught the hint of a green so bright that it nearly blinded him; that alone made him smile. "Ah Lee-san," Naruto said happily walking over to Lee's bed but saw him sleeping soundly. "Oh! Never mind Lee-san, I can see you're sleeping," Naruto said in a quiet whisper, "but trust me when I say that I'd like to fight you one day, see how strong you are against me."

His smile fell and he blinked in confusion as he raised his leg up, pulling down the top of his sandals and pulling some dead and decaying bugs from his ankle. "Hm, what's this? Oh my, is this a Kikaichuu? Amazing, that must mean there's an Aburame in this room!" Naruto said in excitement looking around finally spotting Shino with that crimson eye of his.

"It must be you," Naruto said walking over with the shriveled up bug between his fingers, "the excess of clothing to hide the holes on your body and the insects in your system. You know in some areas of the world you are just a myth, I can say I am most honored!" Naruto bowed, purposely dropping the shriveled up bug on the sheets of Shino's bed where he was now sitting rather than lying down.

Kiba saw the sweat beading Shino's brow as he stared at the dead bug, Kiba knew how angry Shino got when someone killed his bugs but this bug didn't look squished. Its body rather seemed as though it caved in on itself, being turned from a grape to a raisin in seconds. Shino instantly recognized the insects condition…it only happened when his forefathers attempted to drain the chakra of the Kyuubi no Kitsune.

He looked up and saw Naruto's wide grin, those elongated canines poking just beyond his lips in what might be considered to most as a friendly grin. Shino knew from years of reading and using even the minutest of body language that it was a very, VERY high level friendly threat. It was a simple warning that was as thus, _'I respect you but if you try that ever again you will have no future outside of this building.'_

Suddenly his grin turned from threat level to actual friendliness as he talked, "I hope we can be comrades in the future Aburame-san but I'm not quite sure you are what I'm looking for." Naruto turned and cast his gaze around the room, pointedly ignoring the glares he was receiving and eventually settled upon Hyuga Hinata's empty stare into nothingness.

He approached her, drawing nothing from her but her silent attention as she gave him the same sorrowful and empty gaze she gave everyone. Naruto stared at her with an unreadable emotion pasted on his face, his one visible eye shining with something mysterious as she merely watched him stand there. In time he bent over so he was face to face with her, her pale and void Byakugan containing eyes staring into his own slit pupiled crimson orb.

This staring contest lasted a good while, neither moving nor blinking only gazing into the eyes of the other. Hinata, despite her emotionless and mute personality began to lightly sweat and a small pinkish blush crawled up onto her cheeks. She had never been in this close contact with a boy, or anyone for that matter, without them giving her a look of pure hatred.

Suddenly he leaned up and she felt something soft and warm connect with her forehead, did…did he just kiss her forehead? Her eyes widened, the hollowness of her gaze gone as it was replaced with incredible amounts of surprise and confusion. She didn't know why or how but her lips parted and from her previously unused vocal cords sounded a nearly silent whisper, "Nobu-san?"

Naruto chuckled quietly as he pulled his head back slightly, whispering in his own quiet voice, "I knew you could talk. Maybe, hmm…yes I'll definitely be thinking about it." Her face became a deep crimson and she looked down in shame and defeat, screwing her eyelids shut she felt a surge of emotion that she wanted to suppress. Fisting her hands in her pants tightly she tried to forcefully repress her emotions, to her emotion only led to pain…

"Hitokugutsu are only good to puppet masters," he whispered with a small smile as he lifted her face up by her chin, "and as far as I can tell the only strings being pulled aren't made of chakra." She stared into his single crimson eye which held a new depth to it, watching as the deep red warped and moved just a bit. Her eyes watching the movement as if inside was a slowly smoldering flame behind a slashed crimson lens.

He grinned to himself as he saw just a small spark deep within the hollow orbs of milky white turning them, even if it was the briefest second, a soft pale lavender. Naruto smiled and backed away from her wide eyed form, casting his gaze over his shoulder and directly to the bed of Uchiha Sasuke. "There's only one of you I know I'm going to take for sure," Naruto said with a widening grin as he turned his entire body towards Sasuke, earning Sakura's pointed gaze instantly.

Naruto took one step forward and she was on the defensive, racing around to place herself between Naruto and Sasuke then reaching for a Kunai in her pouch. Before she could move her hand from the leather bag she felt something wrap around her wrist and stop her, looking down she found her arm being held by a band of sand.

She followed the trail of crushed stone and it led directly to Gaara and his gourd, his green eyes staring into her own almost daring her to try and continue. "Gaara-san," Naruto said grabbing hold of the stream of sand tightly, "you may release her since I have no problem with what she has done. I did appear a bit…darker with my words than I would have liked."

Gaara was apprehensive but did release her, making her warily eye the ninja with the gourd. "Now miss," Naruto began with a much more friendly voice, "if I may?" Sakura was on Naruto's case quickly her hand still on the kunai in her pouch, "my name is Haruno Sakura and Sasuke is resting so just get out now." Naruto smirked and raised his eyebrow, "my what a temper. And potential too, I'm surprised by you Haruno-san."

Naruto smirk fell into a smile with the hope at a friendly air, "I am only here to speak with Sasuke and offer him a step in the right direction." He saw Sakura's body go on offensive mode when she drew her kunai while he felt anger and killing intent rise around him, he had to stem this quickly or else he would have many hurt ninja on his hands. "If you don't believe me then inspect his curse seal," Naruto said backing away towards the door with his hands in the air.

Sakura and everyone else watched the retreat carefully, finally being satisfied when he reached the door. Sakura looked around to her friends, the ones that were mobile, and as they gave her a brief nod she turned and walked over to the side of Sasuke's bed. She slowly lifted the covers from his left shoulder and turned him just the slightest bit to his side, looking for the seal placed upon him by the snake Orochimaru.

"Wha…what in the world," Sakura said in amazement, "it…it's gone!" Gasps were heard all around only to be pierced with Naruto chuckle, "I told you I only want to help Uchiha-san." He could feel the distrust from most of the room so he sighed with frustration, "I guess I have no choice. I apologize in advance for this…Gaara-san."

Sakura nor did anyone else in the room have time to shout for help, the binds of sand had already covered them completely. Shino attempted to mount an attack with his bugs but found they were stopped by the many layers of sand and the sheer amount of chakra pressure being placed upon the particles of crushed rock. "I apologize to you all," Naruto said with a sorrowful tone as he walked to the foot of Sasuke's bed, "but this needs to be done."

Naruto took a deep breath, clasping his hands together in prayer as he began to mutter to himself. Gaara watched Naruto with surprised eyes, he didn't know Nobu-sama would be taking it this far. Naruto suddenly took a deep breath, an inhalation too great to be just a normal breath and with one great exhale he covered Sasuke's bed in a torrent of crimson flames.

Sakura screamed behind her muzzle of sand while all the others could only watch in horror as the Uchiha's bed was covered completely in the blood red flames. As quickly as he had started it Naruto had ceased his blowing, allowing the crimson flames to rest upon the bed covering Sasuke from head to toe. The flames did not spread, they seemed drawn to the Uchiha's most likely barbequed form like moths to…well you get the idea.

Naruto turned his red eye to the group, the feeling behind it being sorrowful, "I'm sorry if this has scared you." He looked to Sakura and saw the rage in her eyes; it caused him to give her a wry grin, "look underneath the underneath Haruno-san." Sakura's gaze hardened just up until the point she saw a head of pitch black hair rise from the scarlet flames.

"What the hell going on?" Sasuke mumbled more to himself than anyone else as he sleepily rubbed the right side of his head, feeling somewhat tired but overall completely revitalized. Just as he arose from the bed of flames they dispersed, vanishing without even so much as a scorch mark or smoke yet no part of Sasuke's binds remained. Blinking a few times Sasuke was able to register the freak at the end of his bed and…everyone else held in cocoons of sand?

Naruto smirked, "hey Uchiha, remember me?" Sasuke's eyes snapped open; he remembered that voice easily, "Nobu..." Naruto saw the rage build in Sasuke's eyes but in return he merely gave a friendly smile and spoke as any civilized person would, "before you try to beat me allow me to see your curse seal, find it for me." Sasuke's face twisted in confusion and he reached back with his hand searching for the slight elevation of his skin that was the mark Orochimaru left on him.

His eyes snapped open feeling only smooth skin, "what in the hell?" "The curse seal is gone Uchiha," Naruto said as he crossed his arms, suddenly serious, "when you attacked me my Kuugeki Tama swallowed not only your chakra but that power enhancing free will sapping excuse for a seal. You should be thinking much more clearly now so I want to offer a deal."

Sasuke actually stopped and thought about it, something that with the curse seal he knew he wouldn't even consider doing. "What kind of deal," Sasuke asked still angry at being beaten but oddly relieved that the snake no longer had a hold on him. "Well seeing as I am new here I want some of the best. The best skill, the best strength, the best over all team on my side. You will fit the bill perfectly Uchiha," Naruto calmly stated.

"However you're not that great of a leap ahead of the rest of the Genin so I will train you," Naruto said with a smirk, "you could become incredibly strong through my training regiment. I can promise it will not be easy but the fruits of the labor with definitely outweigh whatever pain or near death experience you may, no, WILL feel."

Sasuke was listening closely so Naruto continued, "for this to work you will be on my team obviously, a three man cell under a Jounin, and we will have to work on that attitude of yours but above all…" Naruto suddenly grew deathly serious as he spoke, "you must cease your life as an avenger." Sasuke's eyes snapped open but quickly narrowed in anger, "over my dead body Nobu-teme." Naruto frowned, "I expected better from an Uchiha. He did leave a lot to be desired."

Sasuke's hands clasped together in a seal but he suddenly froze, looking down he saw his hands wrapped in a cocoon of sand ceasing their movement completely. Once again Gaara had come to Naruto's aid but this time it was welcomed with a small smile of thanks toward Gaara. Naruto then turned back to the now struggling Uchiha, hatred burning in his eyes much like the Hyuga before. "If you rethink your decision," Naruto said solemnly as he headed for the door, "you can find me through the Hokage."

Naruto opened the door and exited followed soon after by Gaara who took the time to glare at the Uchiha before he left drawing all the sand he used to bind with him. As the two left they passed by the three ANBU guards who were on their way to the room to apprehend Uchiha Sasuke if he had indeed been returned.

Silence pierced the room, none having words but rather emotions for the situation. Sasuke and Neji were on the same wavelength, angered beyond belief at the audacity of the idiotic yet powerful ninja that was until the door opened a little while later and Sasuke was approached by thee ANBU. Sakura and Tenten were frightened but also angry, such conflicting emotions gave them an increasingly bad headache.

Shino was still in shock as was Kiba but Shino hid it better, his high collar concealing his wide open mouth while Kiba's lagging jaw was out in the open. Lee was still asleep, resting comfortably on his bed completely oblivious to what had happened. Hinata's normally dull white eyes began to have brief sparks of life here and there, whatever was going through her head was a mystery…

* * *

Gaara walked along beside Naruto, they had long ago left behind the Konoha hospital and their brief stop at the Hokage's Tower and since then Naruto had yet to say a word in Gaara's presence. They ignored the looks they received as they walked; they had been served those looks so many times before it didn't matter in the least. To Gaara all that mattered at the moment was, "Nobu-sama, is everything alright?" Naruto sighed and he looked up to the path ahead, briefly recalling the map Sarutobi had shown him from memory before he answered, "that went a little worse than expected."

Gaara nodded but was put off by Naruto's sudden huge fanged grin, "but it also went so much better." Gaara looked questioningly but Naruto only chuckled with a low tone to it, "plant seeds at the most vulnerable time Gaara-san." Naruto looked out of the corner of his one demonic crimson eye and said, "I may be no Orochimaru but I do know how to exploit a weakness for best results."

Gaara gave a small grin in return, "I thought you said youset enough seeds Nobu-sama." Naruto chuckled again with a low and dark edge to his voice, "if planting one more ensures the Konoha sector then so be it. Besides he could use it, look underneath the underneath Gaara-san." For a while Naruto's toothy grin was prominent, making all who saw him and Gaara walking shake at the image it gave.

Soon after his wild grin suddenly faded into a sad smile, "the Hitokugutsu…" "The girl you kissed?" Gaara asked with curiosity, he had never seen Nobu-sama treat someone like that after just meeting them. Naruto nodded while he gave a sad stare to nothing, "her eyes, they're just like yours were when we first met." Gaara showed no feeling, his face didn't break from his emotionless mask but he did turn away with a thought, _'so that's why you were so…sweet on her Nobu-sama.'_

"You should help her Nobu-sama," Gaara suddenly spoke with his calm and even tone after a moment of silence, "as you have helped me. A life like that can only lead to pain and misery, something I would never pray for even upon my worst enemy." Naruto took a moment of silent thought as Gaara had, considering his proposal as if it were a business deal. He suddenly closed his eye and nodded, "ok I believe I will Gaara-san, since you asked so nicely." Gaara was silent a second before he chuckled, "with her I doubt you'll even have to consider plantinga seed."

Naruto almost choked on something and it startled Gaara making him worry about Nobu-sama's health. "Nobu-sama?" Gaara questioned as he patted Naruto's back, "are you ok?" A few good coughs later and Naruto was back standing upright, coughing every so often as he said, "never say that again Gaara." Gaara stared in confusion for a while until his eyes slowly widened in realization and his cheeks took on a light pink tint. Instantly his mouth went down in a scowl and he glared at Naruto, "…you've been reading Icha Icha again haven't you Nobu-sama?"

Naruto began to sweat but thankfully they had reached their destination, the outer edge of Konoha on the exact borderline between the streets and the trees of Konoha forest. "Hey look Gaara-san," Naruto said with a nervous yet hopeful smile, "we're here!" Gaara looked to where Naruto pointed and found only trees. "What are you talking about Nobu-sama?"

Naruto grinned and formed a hand seal, "observe Gaara-san." Naruto sped through multiple hand seals, causing his hands to blur with the speed and number of seals until he ended on a seal Gaara did not recognize. "Uzumaki Naruto accompanied by Sabaku no Gaara," Naruto said and suddenly the trees blurred, becoming nothing more than a memory as the illusion concealed home was revealed.

"My," Naruto said with an unsuppressed grin, "Otou-san did good for himself!" "Nobu-sama," Gaara said with wide eyes as they passed through the front gates, "this is insane…"

Before them lay a variable mansion, it may not have been as big or complex as the one of the Hyuga's but it was quite large. By the look of the outside it could very well have more thanfifty different rooms, the size and even more so the architecture was mind-boggling. As the sun set the low orange glow of the slowly slumbering star cast the rays onto the pure white walls of the home making it seem as if fire had been contained within a clear coat of paint on the mansion.

Naruto's grin nearly split his face in half, "welcome home!"

**_End Chapter_**

Well that's all for now. I'm not really to happy about this chapter for some reason so I'll cut right to the chase and put up the Q and A,

Q: (before ANYONE asks or flames for it) The Hinata thing.

A: It's called getting a reaction, if you already went through it with one person you would know only something big would get a reaction. The reason they didn't jump him after that is simple, would you dare try it? Thought not.

Q: Naru / Hina?

A: ...I don't know I've been shown some good ideas so it's iffy.

Q: Gaara aligning himself with Naruto?

A: There will be an explanation later.

Q: His covered eye?

A: You will see when the time comes.

Q: Caged Bird Seal and Kuugeki Tama?

A: ...if you can't tell Naruto dosen't really like Neji that much.

Q: Seeds?

A: That will be coming up soon.

Q: Ino's blindness?

A: ...read chapter two again. I put in why she's blind there.

Q: Naruto's path?

A: Oh ho I'm gonna like this one. You'll see soon enough.

Q: Sexuality scene?

A: ...my fault, wrote the first thing that came to mind. My bad, sorry if I offended.

Q: Biju levels? (ex golden / void /chaos Nekomata?)

A: I am working with classic mythology so unless I read otherwise only Kitsune, Tanuki, and possibly one other I can't remember right now will have 'levels'.

Well that is all, I still pose the Gaara question but if no one dazzles me then I'll go default. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Remember to review, later.


	5. Sensei

Yo...you know I didn't think I would ever be aggravated by lack of reviews. Well this past week I only received half as many as I had been getting. I try, I really do, I want this story to be the best it can be and if that means a set up chapter rather than total action then that is what will happen. I try to get this out as fast as I can and I try to produce the best material I can so you can have a good read.

However when I receive little to no reviewing I question what made me start writing this and anything else in the first place. So please, for my sake as well as the stories, please review. I appreciate all kinds of reviews so take those few extra seconds to drop a few words about what you just read. Thank you to all of those who actually stopped to read this little rant and I hope you enjoy this chapter, extra long to promote more reviews.

"Talking"

_'Thought'_

_**"Kyuubi"**_

_(Disclaimer)_

_**Chapter 5: Sensei**_

Thick chains of steel, warped and twisted through hours of molding and bathing in fires of hellish heat just to fit his wrists and hold them captive. His hands were captured in those damned gloves, not allowing him to perform any hand seals by holding his fingers in sleeves of steel. Over his face was a mask, not allowing his face to be shown while on the forehead was a grand seal. The sealing of chakra had been activated and now he was as harmless as a kitten…a kitten with years of ninja escape training but still no where nearas harmful as he could be.

He glared through the holes of his seal mask, watching as he passed by glares and sympathetic looks of all degrees. He was the exile, the outcast, the deserter returning to the world he had given up on. He cast an angry glare down to the dirt before him, all of his none to carefully laid plans had been laid to waste and in additionto losing what had been the greatest power he had ever held in his life he was now captive to his own home nation.

He felt the hands on his shoulder,graspinghimwith a firm yet comfortable grip. No matter how skilled he was at escape he could never even hope to break free from the trio of ANBU who held him on a direct course to the Hokage tower. The greatest hitch they had was without a doubt the hospital episode; the girl who had taken it upon herself to 'heal' Sasuke was a little bit more than apprehensive about the restraints he was to wear. A briefflash of their orders from the Hokage himself and that was able to shutup anyone who dared to question their methods.

They trudged through under the slowly darkening sky, the sun was on the last legs of its daily journey and couple that with the growing clouds and the world was bound to grow dark. Theworld of Konohawas growing colder and those who ran business during the day were closing up shop allowing those whoruled the eveningto have their time to shine. The trek was long and tedious, being followed by many onlookers as the last Uchiha went before the Hokage didn't help either. It took time weaving pastand through the gathered groups but they finally reached the Hokage Tower.

The march up the stairs wasn't nearly as long as he thought it could have been, there could have been more watchers and followers who came to see the fate of the Uchiha. Actually there were no followers, they had all been held at the door by guards claiming that this was a moment for the Uchiha and the Hokage alone. It was not long before they reached the Hokage's massive doors, he looked upon them with a dark gaze knowing that those enormous wooden barriers were the gates to his judgment.

Slowly, theatrically none the less, the doors opened revealing a room surprising shrouded in darkness, the only light of the room was the moon's ethereal glow that filtered through the potential storm clouds. At the moment only a small portion of the office was bathed in the soft glow. The Hokage's desk and chair was flooded with the pastel moonlight while what he presumed to be his spot was shrouded in impenetrable shadows. "Ah Sasuke," the Hokage spoke in that deep and sage tone he had, "come on in. And guards, kindly stay outside the door. I'm sure Uchiha-san would be more comfortable with a one on one discussion."

TheANBU nodded into the darkness of the Hokage's room and allowed the lone Uchiha to cross the threshold himself, feeling the aura of strength and authority the Hokage produced increase ten fold when he stepped into the room and into the darkness. Sasuke took a few more steps into the room and he heard the creaking of doors followed soon after by a loud slam, the closing of the doors meant complete confidentiality…if he so wished the Hokage could kill him and claim he was attacked first.

"Sit down Sasuke," the Hokage said, his chair turned around to face him instead of the cloudy night and the pale moon. Sasuke shuffled forward, moving from the massive wood of the door to the darkness of judgment before the Hokage. He eventually sat down, his mask and chains in place not allowing him any aggressive movement what so ever.

"Before we get started," the Hokage said with a slowly widening grin, Sasuke could feel the cool enjoyment in the old mans voice, "how are you feeling? It's not every day a young man like yourself is put in the hospital for complete chakra exhaustion and is able to move the very same day." Sasuke glared at nothing but spoke, the thin steel mesh mask not hindering his speech in the least, "I'm fine Hokage…sama."

"That's good," the Hokage said with a small chuckle as he crossed his hands on his desk, "can't have one of our own injured no matter what the cause." Sasuke winced at the implication of those words but the Hokage didn't stop, "speaking of causes. What caused you to attempt a defection from Konoha to Oto, hm?" Sasuke looked down in defeat, he knew he was beat now so it was better to confess and end the suspense, "I went for more power. Orochimaru promised, and delivered, more power so I can kill my brother."

The Hokage chuckled as he leaned back in his chair causing his still crossed hands to fall neatly into his lap, "and you think that he will follow through with just giving you power freely? You think he will just allow you into his village, train you until you are strong enough, then let you go out to kill your brother and restart your clan?" Sasuke was about to say something but the Hokage stopped him, "no, don't answer that. You don't know Orochimaru that well; you could have just said something you'd regret."

The Hokage's tone grew deeper, darker and more serious as he leaned forward, "my old student would never let you go through like that. He wants something in return, something that you wouldn't be able to handle Sasuke. He wants your eyes and that doesn't mean he would take them from your skull, he would take your body for the Sharingan." Sasuke's eyes opened in surprise, that snake would take his body so freely for the eyes he so desperately wanted…but why?

"Orochimaru is insane Sasuke," the Hokage said with a regretful tone, "he wants nothing more than to know all the jutsu in the world so he can become the 'ultimate being.' With your eyes he can copy any jutsu he encountered making his dream come true that much faster. He would probably find a way to repopulate the clan, taking over a new Sharingan eye every time the body he had wore down." Sasuke was staring with unabashed hatred and shame, he had nearly fallen for that bastard snake's tricks!

The Hokage felt the anger within Sasuke grow and truthfully he couldn't blame the boy. He had nearly forfeited his life and the future of the Uchiha clan to the serpent that he once called close to him. "I can see that this isn't comforting news," the Hokage said wisely earning Sasuke's glare of fire on him, it was obvious that the boy now had three life goals. First was the extermination of his brother, second was repopulation of his clan, and the third was to destroy Orochimaru for what he had planned.

"I'm willing to guess that you now want to destroy Orochimaru as much as you do your brother," the Hokage said earning Sasuke's slow nod, he was to taken with rage to agree forcefully. "Well I have a deal for you," the Hokage said with a clever smirk. "In place of jail and even death for treason you will only have one hundred hours of community service and," the Hokage paused a bit on purpose just to watch the Uchiha's eager eyes, he was sure if there wasn't a chakra seal then his Sharingan would be blazing, "you must undergo training by Kuugeki Nobu."

He received the expected answers, vehement shouts of no and questioning if he was insane. With a swift wave of his hand and a burst of chakra Sasuke shut his mouth knowing it was the Hokage's time to speak. "I was given a report by Nobu that not only has he defeated you when as the second level of the Curse Seal," the Hokage said with a stern voice, "but he has successfully removed the seal from your system allowing you to think much clearer than with it."

Sasuke hung his head slightly, that bastard made a complete fool out of him and now the old man wanted him to train with him! It was a fricking conspiracy! "He also told me that he would offer to train you personally but if you refused then I shouldn't do a thing. If it isn't obvious I'm going against that and offering you a way out," the Hokage said calmly. Sasuke refused to respond, he only stared out into space glassy eyed in his own world of thoughts. As much as he hated to admit it Nobu had defeated him with no effort even at level two curse seal, something that he was certain no one else could ever hope to do.

"Sasuke before you make a decision I want you to think about it. He has power he is willing to give you so that you may accomplish all of your goals. He is actually eager to train you for nothing as long as you are on his team," the Hokage said with a slowly widening smile, "I can vouch for his sincerity, I have known him for a long time. So will you take his offer or, most likely, hang?"

Sasuke was silent, his eyes still holding that glazed look as he thought. Sarutobi watched as the boy passed the time in his thoughts; the clouds over the moon slowly removed themselves bathing Sasuke in the pale glow of the lunar light. "Fine," Sasuke said angrily, "I'll train with Nobu." Sarutobi grinned ear to ear at the answer, "excellent, let's start on the papers..."

* * *

"Gaara-san," he groaned angrily as he glared at the beautiful oakdoor, "you don't have to make sure each and every grain of your sand is clean you know…HURRY UP!" "Nobu-sama?" rose a questioning voice from his side, in a flash he turned to view Gaara standing there in shorts and a t-shirt. He hadn't a thing in way of weaponry on him and he looked incredibly groggy. "What are you yelling at?" he questioned with a yawn and a scratch of his blood colored hair.

Naruto himself was garbed in relatively the same thing except his belt of tails around his waist and the black tie of his hair, it was lying down on his body and seemed very wet, "…I thought you were in your bathroom taking as shower like I did." Gaara blinked in confusion, "I just woke up Nobu-sama…and my room is on the other side of the hall, I woke up because of your screaming." Naruto stared for a second before chuckling nervously and saying, "eh yeah that's what I mean! I was trying to wake you up because you're being lazy!"

Gaara turned his head to the side, lo and behold he spied a clock on the wall saying it was only five in the morning, "at five in the morning?" Naruto nodded confidently, "we have to get ready for the meeting you know." Gaara's plaeemerald eyes just stared, "you woke up and yelled at the wrong door in an attempt to get me to wake up at five in the morning because we have a meeting…at ten." Naruto nodded again as he crossed his arms, "I don't see why this is so hard to understand Gaara-san."

Gaara stared for a minute at the nervously twitching Naruto, "…if I had the energy I'd strangle you right now." Naruto grinned wide in relief, "ah don't worry about energy Gaara-san, I made some coffee with breakfast." Gaara sighed as he put his face in his palm, "leave before I decide to make my sand use you as a stress release ball." Naruto laughed nervously, "sure thing Gaara-san! Remember we have a meeting with my team at ten so get ready, breakfast is downstairs bye!"

Gaara watched the blur of black and red race down the hall and vanishdown the stairs, "…too many questions…too tired…but I will get him back." With that Gaara did an about face and trudged into his room intent on getting at least a few more hours of sleep.

Gaara awoke about three hours later, took his shower and got dressed in a lighter outfit than the other day. His attire now consisted of black pants that were slightly baggy and bundled up at the calves. He still wore his black sandals but under his pants he wore steel mesh and bandages. Trading in his coat he wore a black t-shirt with long sleeve mesh underneath and his massive sash and belt to hold on his gourd. He still wore his hat but he allowed it to hang on his neck, no use for it in the house. Hanging down upon his chest were the metal tags from before, each holding a different but equally complex seal of mysterious origin and use.

He journeyed down stairs and found Naruto already up and about; he too was dressed in less cumbersome clothing than yesterday. He wore a crimson colored baggy short sleeved over shirt and under it he wore a tight jet black sleeveless shirt with a faint mist-like ruby red swirl on the chest. The shirts were worn over an enhanced steel mesh shirt, a secondary defense just in case. On his arms he wore form fitting raven black cloth armguards and they were supplemented on his hands by black open finger swordsman style gloves with odd seals on the backs of the hands. Around his neck were the same metal tags as Gaara wore, each one of them dulled with a special polish and jutsu so as to not reflect much light.

Going from his right shoulder to his left hip spanned his thick dark scarlet leather sash with the filled pouches and the small left shoulder support straps while on his back was his surprisingly small sword. The foot long handle was tanned leather wrapped around material that couldn't quite be placed with its faint gray color and illusion of fragility. The sheath itself was a deep crimson with midnight black ghost like designs featuring a ghastly Kitsune shape. He wore looser than normal black pants and sandals with dark bandages covering what little space was open on his legs.

"Good morning Gaara-san," Naruto said with a smile, "sorry about earlier, I am a bit excited you know." Gaara nodded in acceptance of his apology, "I understand Nobu-sama, it was no problem at all so do not dwell on it. If I may ask what did you make for breakfast, and please don't tell me it's ramen again." Naruto chuckled as he shook his head, "no just a simple meal of rice balls and assorted foods with coffee." Gaara's eyebrows rose, "impressive Nobu-sama, you resisted the temptation of ramen." Naruto laughed at one of Gaara's rare jokes, "it's a miracle I know."

They ate breakfast with some conversation, no matter how long they had spent together a good conversation between them was enjoyable. Nobu would tell of certain…breakthroughs and then give Gaara some orders to be followed in the future. "Are you sure Hokage-sama will approve?" Gaara questioned as he took a bite of his rice ball. Naruto smirked confidently as he ate his own meal, "the old man knows what's going on. He's the only one we can trust with these ambitions and he is more than willing to help. He will be giving you papers and a Hitai-ate today allowing you to exit and enter the village whenever you want and giving you passage into any friendly neighboring nations."

The rest of the conversation was just random chit chat. When it was time to leave Gaara picked up the trays and utensils with his sand and dispensed them in the sink allowing Naruto to go through the last few preparations for the day. They met again at the door, Gaara waiting for Naruto as he fumbled with putting a few things in his pocket. Gaara immediately recognized the signs and grinned as he pulled his hat from the back of his neck to the top of his head, "after waking me up at five in the morning you're the one who is going to make us late." Naruto chuckled at the statement, "eh I just forgot something in my room, it happens."

In no time they were off through the village, wordlessly and unanimously deciding to hold back their conversations they looked around at village inhabitant's reactions. It was a rainbow of feedback, some were surprised and some were uninterested, some were happy and some were angry, some were even inventing newresponses for this event. It was a variable grab bag of emotions that they observed, something that in some way or another made Gaara feel increasingly uncomfortable.

He was quite relieved when they reached the Hokage Tower, the sun shining bright and casting an aura around it making it look even more regal than before. They entered with little problem and ascended the stairs to their destination, Sarutobi's office. Gaara just barely stopped Naruto from throwing the doors open wildly, suggesting that this was something that needed a more subtle touch to it. Naruto agreed, not quite sure what he was thinking, then slowly opened the door revealing Sarutobi with a smile and Sasuke with a sneer. Naruto swiftly grew a grin, "ah Uchiha-san! You've decided to join us!"

Sasuke cast a brief, almost unnoticeable glance to Sarutobi before nodding, "yeah, you better live up to your promise." Naruto caught the glance and turned hissingle eyed sight to the innocently smiling Sarutobi. Naruto's gaze hardened for the slightest second before he sighed, "that's good but you do remember what I said right. I do promise pain, it's not a just a promise it's a guarantee."

Sasuke scoffed at Naruto's words, "yeah I heard you the first time Nobu." "Very well," Nobu said turning to Gaara, "Gaara-san I believe you were just about to assume your position as a Chuunin of Konoha." Gaara nodded and bowed to the Hokage, "Hokage-sama what is my mission for the day?" "Your mission will be to familiarize yourself with Konoha andintroduce yourself tothe other Chuunin who will be holding a meeting in gathering hall B, the lower floors of the tower, at three this afternoon. And you will be receiving this," the Hokage said holding up a small envelope, "due to your condition."

Gaara nodded and approached the Hokage, taking hold of the envelope he turned and started for the entrance but was stopped with a minor hand gesture from Naruto. They stood side by side, seeming as though they were staring not at each other but rather out into space. To anyone this would appear to be rather confusing and of no true value what so ever. Much like everyone else Sasuke watched in confusion but Sarutobi observed in curiosity, he had heard of this before but it was rare to see.

With a quick nod Gaara continued his path, exiting the room without so much as a word spoken. "Naruto," Sarutobi said with an intrigued half smile, "I didn't know you and Gaara-san were able to connect with pulsations of chakra interpreted as thought. It has been said that it can only be done by highly skilled shinobi siblings since the bonds they share are much stronger than a simple teammate and sensei." Naruto chuckled, "I do have my own orders to give Ojii-san, can't have them being leaked out through simple spying."

Sasuke was utterly lost but figured that he was too out of the loop to understand or care so he simply settled himself back into his chair and waited. When the two were done with their chuckles Sasuke spoke, "so who else will be on our team?" Naruto smiled, no grinned,at the Uchiha, "you'll see. You did give them the orders correct Ojii-san?" Sarutobi nodded, "the second you gave me the information they were contacted and notified of this mornings meeting. Though you were a few minutes early."

"In fact," Sarutobi said looking at the clock on the wall, "it's ten right about now." Just as the clock on the wall rang with bells so did the doors of the Hokage's office slowly open. Sasuke's eyes immediately went to the door expecting someone powerful…but instantly his mouth twisted in the sour distaste of anger. Standing the in the open doors was the white eyed and short haired young Hyuga heiress, Hyuga Hinata.

"Why her," Sasuke muttered as he turned his glare to the side, not wanting to catch her discomforting empty stare. Naruto gave her a small smile and bowed, "good morning Hyuga-san, I hope you slept well." Hinata's normally dull eyes widened in surprise, asking a silent question which the Hokage answered, "he is the one who requested your presence this morning. As of this moment you, Hyuga Hinata, are now on a team with Kuugeki Nobu and Uchiha Sasuke."

"Just perfect," Sasuke grumbled just before he stood, "stuck with the Hyuga puppet and a powerful smartass. Whatever, who's the Jounin sensei?" He received no words from Naruto but he did get another grin that sent a shiver down his spin telling him this couldn't possiblyend well. Sasuke looked to Sarutobi expecting an answer but only saw the old man snickering to himself and looking in a different direction than Sasuke. Sasuke curiously followed his line of sight until it landed on… "oh hell no. No way!"

Sarutobi was looking directly at Naruto who still had that grin plastered on his chops, "now, now it's not nice to call your teammates puppets or to call your Jounin sensei a smartass." "Please tell me you are joking," Sasuke spun around to Sarutobi with a pleading look whom only shook his head then quickly gained a serious and authoritative aura about himself. "I am not joking Sasuke, Nobu has given me confirmed records of his previous accomplishments and I find it only right that he be deemed a Jounin. He was registered yesterday and took the option of teaching a three man team of his choice."

Before questions could beraised Naruto elaborated, "I only chose two out of three for a few reasons. The only one I wanted other than Sasuke and Hinata was Lee but after speaking with the Hokage I discovered that it wouldn't be the best for him. Everyone else had something about them that I didn't want nor need so feel lucky. Besides it will be easier for you to grow with fewer students to split my attention." Sasuke was about to complain but in the blink of an eye Naruto was in his face, grinning ear to ear as he said, "I suggest you hold your comments Sasuke or whatever deal Ojii-san gave you isn't going to save you from getting kicked out."

The Hokage's eyes widened in realization, he knew! How in the world did he know? Naruto gave the Hokage a side glance, something that lasted not but a few moments but in that second long stare he saw the anger Naruto held at the Hokage going behind his back. The crimson of his eye flickered and deep within Sarutobi's mind he was reminded of theruby flames that had engulfed Naruto's home several years before.In a seconds passingthe gaze was off him and on Sasuke who, for what it's worth, was doing a pretty good job holding himself in front of the overpowering shinobi.

Hinata watched the entire confrontation with confusion and surprise. She hadn't seen the skill Nobu possessed but at the speed he used in an every day situation then he had to be somewhat powerful. She gauged the speed to match that of Rock Lee and just like the chakra lacking ninja he too used only his muscles and nothing else.It was almost instantaneous; he took one step back from the Uchiha and reappeared before her with a small smile on his face that made even his dangerous looks seemfriendly.

"Has Hokage-sama given you the details?" he asked kindly which earned a shaking of the head, all she was told was to come for a meeting at ten. "Well to shorten the explanation you will be on a team with Uchiha-san and myself and we will be on a training mission for quite a while," Naruto said calmly as he crossed his arms, "it will be tough but I am certain you will grow from it both physically and mentally. Feel free to not say anything if you wish not to participate but if you do want to join us then a simple yes will suffice."

She blinked and seemed near frantic with her thoughts, he observed the numerous glints in her eyes telling him that there was a quiet battle raging on in her mind on whether or not she should accept. Minutes later he turned awaywith a sigh, "well Uchiha-san I suppose it will be just you an-" "No," came a soft whisper behind him. He turned and looked down at the young Hyuga girl, her hands clutched into fists at her side as she forced words to form from herpreviously unused vocal chords, "I…I mean yes…I…I want to go."

Naruto smiledwith a kindwhisper, "good, let's cut those strings of a Hitokugutsu." He turned to face Sasuke called, "come on Sasuke, we have to get going now if we want to make it to the lodgings before nightfall!" Sasuke grumbled something in reply and joined the others with his classic angered pose consisting of hands in his pockets and constant glare on his face. "Now if either of you want to pack that's fine but I doubt you'll need it, I have everything you'll ever need already provided," Naruto said with a smile to his two students, "meet me at the northern entrance in a thirty minutes with whatever you want to bring along, now get moving."

Hinata nodded and bowed showing a fair amount of respect before leaving while Sasuke just left, not giving one ounce of respect to his new sensei. "Sheesh," Naruto muttered as he scratched the back of his head, "you'd think I was the one who killed his family." "Naruto," Sarutobi spoke earning Naruto's complete and undivided attention, "I…I want to apologize."

Naruto waved him off, "it's alright Ojii-san, you did what you thought was right." Sarutobi gained a relieved smile but Naruto's sudden seriousstare took it away. He glared down the Hokage with his single crimson eye that expressed the gravity of his words, "but remember never to do something like that ever again. I have my own way of working things and if you continue to interfere…Konoha is off my list of allies. Am I clear?" Sarutobi nodded not in fear but out of sadness and regret, "I understand Naruto, I'm sorry."

Naruto suddenly smiled, the anger and malicious attitude gone instantly replaced with a calm and kind tone, "don't worry about it Ojii-san, it's not like it hurt my plans too much. Remember to inform the Hyuga head of Hinata's absence thought it won't be long…here." With that Naruto vanished in a puff of black and red smoke leavingSarutobi to shiver a bit from the random changes in emotion that Naruto experienced. It was odd how he could change personalities so quickly but then again he knew the story all too well…

* * *

They had been walking for hours, it must have been somewhere between four and five in the afternoon before Naruto finally turned around with a small smile and spoke, "alright team we can take a break." They had walked from the Hokage tower to the northern exit of Konoha, traveling by foot through the entirety of the country revealing nothing but a massive amount of flora and fauna. They had managed to run through a few towns along the way but they kept a constant pace, not bothering to stop except for a drink of water and a small ration of food that was just enough to keep hunger at bay.

It had taken a long time and when Naruto decided to stop both Sasuke and Hinata were tired, not exhausted but weary and to a point aggravated with Naruto's choice of route to…where ever the they were going so far from Konoha. Before either of them sat they felt eyes upon them, watching their every movement at every moment. They cast a quick glance to see Naruto spying on them from the corner of his one working eye. Suddenly it popped into both of their heads; this was a test of endurance and ability to understand hidden directions.

Both jumped from the seats they would have taken and instead took to standing or leaning much like their new sensei had. Naruto chuckled as he pushed himself from leaning on the tree, "not bad considering it took you two seconds to figure out my plan." Naruto suddenly gained a faraway gaze and his right came up to grasp the tags on his neck, a slow smile crept onto his lips as he spoke, "and here comes your second part of the test. Good luck." The last thing they saw was the blurry image of his grinning face before their attention was directed onto three shinobi who had taken his place.

From left to right none of them looked like normal Oto soldiers, they wore the traditional sound garbs only they were a fair bit different than standard issue. The one on the left held himself tall and proud, his arms crossed tightly over his chest hiding the small holes in his palms. His hair was spiked backwards and a Hitai-ate of Oto was tied around his head holding the protective plates on the sides of his face. He looked incredibly confident and he produced an odd combination of a sneer and a smirk at the two, this fact was only enhanced by the shirt he wore which proclaimed death three times over.

The one on the left was a girl, she too held an aura of confidence and power that most Kunoichi her age didn't. Her hair was as black as the darkest midnight and it reached down to the backs of her knees being tied tightly with a small band near the end. She, like all of the other members, wore a grey camouflage scarf around her neck and on her forehead was the Hitai-ate of sound. She didn't look as though she had any weapons but for some reason a sense of foreboding hovered around her.

The final one, the leader obviously, was very odd in that he seemed to be chronically hunched over like an animal. His head was wrapped up like a mummy leaving only his left eye to see. On his back was an ornament that could only be compared to a fluffy white fur pelt strapped onto his back. Combine these choices of attire with his INCREDIBLY long sleeved shirt and he was exceedingly…unusual to say the least. However unlike the others, who gave off the feeling of power and confidence, his aura was more reserved and seemed to be much colder and far crueler than theirs.

"Well, well, well," the one with the spiked hair and the arrogant smirk said, "I'd say we got lucky Kin." "Lucky nothing," the girl said with an equally arrogant grin, "we've hit the jackpot Zaku." "Agreed," the bandaged one spoke, "not only have we found Uchiha Sasuke but also one of the Hyuga clan, Orochimaru-sama will be pleased."

The one called Zaku snorted, "pleased? Dosu, with what we're going to deliver I think this'll finally give us that one last push to be Jounin!" "Don't be over confident," Dosu said with a reprimanding tone as he took one step toward the now on guard pair, "we must first inquire Uchiha-san. Will you come with us to Orochimaru-sama peacefully?"

Sasuke sneered and charged chakra into his eyes to fuel his Sharingan, "if there's one thing I want to do willingly in Oto it would be to skin the snake." Dosu chuckled and spoke darkly, "well then I suppose that would make our jobs a bit harder." Zaku laughed as he uncrossed his arms and a small blast compressed air shot from his vents in a wasteful but overall impressive display, "and a lot more fun."

"Kin," Dosu said his left hand flowing from his sleeve and coming out to grasp the hem of his right sleeve, "you can take the Hyuga correct?" Kin scoffed as she reached down into her hip pouch, "of course. Long range attacks are the weakness of Juken. She'll be down for the count and there, Oto has the Byakugan for sale to Kumo…or maybe just some experimentation." Kin looked to Hinata for a reaction, expecting hatred, fear, doubt, any sort of emotion on the heiresses face. The only look she received was one completely devoid of emotion, it unnerved her to see that expression on a living person.

"I'm getting tired of listening to you talk," Sasuke growled as he threw a triad of Kunai at the trio of Oto nin, their bodies vanishing before they could be impaled by the specialized knives. Sasuke cast a blood red glance over his shoulder to Hinata who gave an empty nod, vanishing in a blur before his eyes. Sasuke heaved a small sigh as he turned his head back to face forward, closing his eyes he forced his mind and body to calm down so he could properly think.

Sasuke's eyes opened wide and he barely dodged to the side, evading a powerful blast of air that could have easily crushed him. "The mission is to take him ALIVE Zaku!" yelled an obviously enraged Dosu from whatever cover he used. Where ever he had hidden he was capable enough to mask his location by causing his voice to sound from many different places at once. "Yeah," Zaku muttered as he materialized before Sasuke with his palms spread wide, "but just barely counts too…"

* * *

Hinata instantly activated her clans Doujutsu, the Byakugan, to scout the area and search for that kunoichi Kin. Out of the very corner of her vision she saw a senbon aimed almost directly at her blind spot. She was lucky enough to spot the small needle and quickly dodged to the side, extending her vision searching for any sign of the senbon throwing ninja. She finally found an image of Kin and took off in her direction, her unrelenting Byakugan eyes focused solely on her opponent.

Hinata landed not to far away from Kin, not completely sure about Kin's Taijutsu abilities so she decided to keep a medium length distance from her just in case. Kin smirked and said, "for having the Byakugan eyes you're pretty blind." Hinata was mildly confused until she heard a small ding sound. Instantly she felt queasy and she fell to her knee, watching with activated Byakugan as Kin and much of the surrounding forest split several times over turning her once feared clan jutsu into a handicap. She shut off the chakra to her eyes but even with normal vision Kin had clones, all of them giving off that smug grin.

"Seeing double, or maybe quadruple," Kin said as she and all of her clones simultaneously took out several senbon. "But this is only the beginning Hyuga," Kin said with a bitter laugh, "I wouldn't be surprised if your body will eventually be unable to move or better yet you'll go completely deaf." Hinata winced in pain but her face did not betray any emotion, her silence allowing her to think while Kin chattered on.

Hinata gulped down whatever food had decided to show itself a second time to her esophagus and pushed chakra into her eyes once more, extending her vision in an attempt to locate those devious bells. It was only a single second but she almost couldn't handle it. The multitude of images and crisscrossing patterns called for a large headache and more than enough nausea to rise from within her. Still she failed to see the bells as she deactivated her Doujutsu and observed as the multiple Kin's threw their multitudes of senbon.

Hinata made a sudden decision and dodged to the left, feeling but only one senbon skim her jacket she nearly let out a sigh of relief but that was interrupted by the sound of the bell. "You got lucky Hyuga," Kin said as from her pouch came not a senbon but a kunai, "this time I will finish it." Hinata frantically pushed chakra into her eyes again, feeling sickened at the vision but finally catching a glimpse of the bells, right in the center of her blind spot had she been only one small leap to the right.

Of course knowing this didn't make it easy, the number of bells tied to the multiple senbon was insane and take into account that Kin and her clones were rushing at her with amazing speed and power it only made her sicker. Hinata deactivated her clan's jutsu just before she emptied her stomach, welcomed back into true vision by the sight of the Kin's taking a running start for her with the kunai. Hinata's eyes snapped shut and she did the only thing that came to her mind.

She spun.

It was far too late for Kin to retract her attack, mid-flight towards the Hyuga heiress was sort of a bad time to change attack plans. Her entire body was slammed against the swirling shield of chakra, its winds and power cutting into her skin and causing terrible chakra burns all over the front of her body. She flew away from the power but amazingly she quickly flipped in the air, landing on her feet on a tree several yards away with a smirk.

"Wow," Kin said clutching the broken strings of her bell, "you not only hit my with the Hyuga's ultimate shield but you also broke my bells. I would say that hurt but…well you'll find out." Hinata, her vision clearing as the bells ringing became no more, activated her Byakugan to find a very…unfavorable sight. Kin stood there with a grin on her face as the burns and slashes that once covered her body, in essence, went up in smoke. A low hiss came from her various wounds as they closed, lowering what could have been a knock out blow to a mere inconvenient pain.

Kin smirked and this time took out more of her deadly senbon, "I think we'll do this from farther away from now on." Hinata, for the first time since the little fight began, glared at the black haired Kunoichi. Kin was a bit taken aback by the stare the girl gave her; it was almost…deadly in itself. This one sight was what stopped her from jumping away as Hinata said not a word but calmly slid into the stance of Juken fighting style. Kin smirked in superiority, "you think you'll get me over there? Good luck…weak little Hyuga princess. I doubt you could even hit me-"

It was a blur of movement, not even spanning a second. Hinata vanished and reappeared before Kin, pulling her palm back and slamming it into Kin's stomach throwing her into the tree trunk with a significant force. Hinata's body shook with uncharacteristic rage and before unknown power as she stood with her head down and palm facing the injured Kunoichi. Hinata raised her head revealing a growing killer glare, "good bye." Kin was watching through squinted eyelids as Hinata charged with a palm full of deadly Juken chakra…

* * *

Sasuke dodged for the thousandth time, the freak with the arm pressure cannons built into his arms was hell to face but the opponent with the sound amplifier on his arm was also wearing his nerves paper thing. He was lucky enough not to be hit often with the sound vibrations, they only hit his inner ear once and after a brief spout of nausea and quick vomiting he placed a fair amount of distance between himself and the mummy.

Despite the fact that this distance nullified the inner ear vibrations the air slicer took away what little advantage that was. Sasuke was almost on constant defense from the air pressure blasts and wave of sound, he was so dependent on defense at this moment that he didn't have the time to plan a successful offense. The only jutsu he had time for were his fireballs and even those only gave him a few moments extra pause time before he was back on defense. "Dosu," Zaku muttered angrily as he fired another air pressure blast in Sasuke's general direction, "why can't we kill this weak Uchiha?"

Sasuke felt a deep stab at his pride but Dosu spoke, "because Orochimaru-sama needs him alive Zaku, remember that." Zaku grunted angrily, "yeah, yeah…it's just I'm bored out of my mind." Sasuke's Sharingan was spinning in his rage at the accusations of being a weakling, the taunts proving him not to be any stronger than them. He was about to produce another ball of flame but he suddenly felt a pulsation inside of his heart, tightening on his the pumping organ before releasing causing him to feel recovered and much…stronger.

He was completely confused at the feeling within but decided to not look a gift horse in the mouth and slide his hands into quick seals, whatever this boost in power was he didn't know if it was temporary so he planned to finish this now. Sasuke grinned maliciously at the two Oto ninja and in a flash he pressed his fingers to his lips letting loose a rain of medium sized fireballs onto the Oto shinobi. Zaku looked the projectiles over then produced a cocky grin, "he tries this ten times and yet he doesn't learn." He held up his air vent hands and charged a burst of air long before Dosu analyzed the situation and was able to warn Zaku.

The spheres of flame were met halfway by twin gusts of highly compressed air and the blink of an eye they were no more however, in the process of forming the fire balls Sasuke had slipped innumerable amounts of shuriken and a few kunai into them. Zaku's eyes snapped open and he quickly guarded with his arms, the shuriken merely grazed his form but the kunai lodged into his arms and legs cutting him straight to the bone. Zaku bit back the hiss of pain and quickly threw his arms to the side ridding them of the Kunai. He turned his gaze back to Sasuke as the once weak Uchiha charged him, a kunai in his hand and an unruly…red chakra surging around him.

Zaku was frozen at the sight, his breath quickened and he relied on basic instinct as Sasuke's foot rose up and flew to the side of his head. His arm shot up to guard but due to injuries he wasn't swift enough, he was kicked clean out of the clearing leaving only Dosu who now rushed the recovering Uchiha. Sasuke turned on a dime and was off in a flash, planting his foot into Dosu's chest sending the bandage covered shinobi into a nearby tree. It was a blur of movement as Sasuke pulled three large shuriken from his pouch and launched them at Dosu, each of them missing him by a mile.

Dosu felt he was lucky until the shuriken came around again, circling him and the tree several times before implanting themselves in the hard wood of the plant. At this point he knew he was tied to the tree with wire, the only thing he could do was watch as the crimson chakra engulfed Sasuke formed numerous hand seals with the wires grasped tightly in his teeth. Sasuke took a great breath and from the exhale came a massive streak of ruby red fire flowing directly down to wire's guiding line…

* * *

Hinata's hand was suspended inches from Kin's chest, directly over her heart, just far away enough for the Juken chakra spike to have no effect at all. The entire forest was silent until it was broken by Kin's voice as she exclaimed, "Nobu-sama!" Naruto smirked as he stood to the side of the two, holding Hinata's wrist so she was unable to connect with Kin's chest in her most likely deadly Juken strike. Naruto chuckled and produced a small smile, "ah Kin-chan it's been so long. We must see one another more often."

Hinata blinked in confusion, looking between Kin's purely star struck look to Naruto's smirk and closed crimson eye. Naruto turned to her with a small smile, "that was very good Hinata-san. I didn't expect you to attack so fiercely! In fact I had no idea that you could move that fast in your families Juken style." Hinata could only stare in confusion until Naruto let her wrist go so he could turn to Kin, "so Kin-chan I see IT is working great for you along with Dosu-san and Zaku-san."

Kin nodded quickly and with a wide smile, "we are nearing Jounin status Nobu-sama and Orochimaru-san is none the wiser either." "Good, good," Naruto said before he turned and approached the young Hyuga heiress, shaking her shoulder waking her from a semi-stupefied state. "Hinata-san we must go gather Uchiha-san. His test is nearing the end as we speak." Hinata nodded dumbly as she and the rest were engulfed in a scarlet flame…

* * *

Dosu let out a sigh of relief as the wire that held him tightly unexpectedly went lax and the crimson inferno that was on a direct path for his life sprayed off into the air, harmlessly dissipating in a marvelous mist of red flames. "Oh thank the gods, Nobu-sama!" Dosu said with an excited voice as Naruto came into view, on one side of him was Kin and on the other was the Hyuga. Naruto chuckled as he looked Dosu over, "Dosu, how pleasant seeing you…at least what I can."

Sasuke was just about to cuss Naruto out for talking to the enemy until he felt whatever power had manifested itself in him give out leaving him exhausted and causing him to be grounded by his own physical weight. Naruto gave a casual glance over his shoulder and then turned to Dosu, "so it manifested itself already?" Dosu nodded and spoke with slight amazement and to some extent confusion, "yes Nobu-sama. It was quite an impressive spike also; the first growth was larger than any of us have had."

Naruto grinned wide as he strode over to the fallen body of Sasuke with Hinata close in tow. "Well that is a pleasant surprise," Naruto said with a grin as he placed Sasuke back to trunk with a sturdy tree for sitting support, "I knew I made the right decision choosing him and Hinata-san." Naruto grinned at Sasuke's fatigued face, the Sharingan gradually deactivating but he somehow held that burning look of defiance and strength in his coal black eyes. "Nobu-sama," Dosu voiced earning Naruto's focus on Kin and Dosu's kneeling forms, "is there anything we can do for you?"

Naruto thought for a moment before he spoke with an older-than-he-should-know tone, "yes. I need for you to say nothing of this beyond you were ambushed by some Konoha ninja who were also searching for the Uchiha. You obliterated every one of them and disposed of the bodies accordingly. Continue in Orochimaru's service, gather whatever information you can and deliver it in the way you have been instructed. That is all, dismissed." "Yes Nobu-sama, give Gaara-sama our best regards," Dosu said, both of them vanishing in a blur most likely to gather up their teammate and explain to him the details of what had happened.

A tense silence occupied the space which had once held the two Oto ninja. Hinata and Sasuke were on guard and on edge, they didn't know the details of what just happened but if the words were any clue in the least then it meant their sensei was keeping some very big secrets from them. Hinata asked silent questions with her eyes, not able to voice her quarries to the obviously powerful being before her; apparently Sasuke had no such troubles. "Whose side," Sasuke grumbled angrily with as much energy as he could muster, "are you on?"

That tense silence answered his question for a while, Naruto keeping quiet as he held his back to them. Sasuke opened his mouth to speak again but Naruto sighed, silencing Sasuke with the soft exhalation of breath. He then began speaking using a tone in his voice that they recognized as being something used only by the most experienced of ninja, an accent of age and wisdom, "I have decided that there will be no more secrets that I will keep from you. There will be no confusion as to who your sensei truly is and what exactly he is capable of. To begin my name is Kuugeki Nobu and I am a Kitsune."

With those words spoken he was enveloped in a cloud of raven black and bloody crimson smoke…

**_End Chapter_**

Well that is all for this chapter. I would rant and rave here but I've decided against it since I already covered what I wanted to in the begining. Q and A with what material I have...

Q: Void is cold and heartless so why can he heal?

A: That will be explained soon if not next chapter than the next.

Q: Naru/Hina?

A: I think this chapter speaks for itself...

Well that's all, thank you very much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Once again remember to review, later.


	6. Midnight Crimson Mist

Yo, I decided to crawl out from under the rock where I was hiding and put a new chapter up on this story. Don't expect another for a long time though, this was a spur of the moment and thing I'm not sure if I'll still keep going. I have more commitments now and well...I'm just losing way to much time. So for those of you who like what I write sorry but the real world calls, I hate it but shit happens.

"Speech"

_'Thought'_

**_"Kyuubi"_**

_(Disclaimer)  
_

**_ Chapter 6: Midnight Crimson Mist_**

Years of training, countless hours of mental conditioning, and immeasurable amount of lessons to expect the unexpected didn't, neigh couldn't, prepare them for this unique revelation. Hinata and Sasuke stared wide eyed at the massive red and black mist, expanding higher and higher until it reached well over thirty feet high. Their necks strained as the cloud grew closer to the heavens until at last it stopped in the vicinity of seventy feet tall, towering over them in a swirling mass of ruby and night.

It came like a tanker through the morning fog, a towering anomaly slowly barging through the mist causing wisps here and there to follow its movements before dissipating in the strong cross-breeze. First came its nose and mouth, elongated and covered with red and black fur, a small part in the lips revealed rows of gargantuan razor sharp fangs capable of tearing apart wood and steel as it could flesh and bone. Next came the rest of its head, a monolithic Kitsune skull covered in swirling fur of ink and blood that looked out into nothing with a single crimson eye, its other closed and hidden from the world. On the brow of this great Kitsune's skull was a comparatively small mark, a scar horizontally marking the creature's large forehead.

After the head came the great Kitsune's upper body, covered in that same burning red and coal black fur. The oddest features on this part of the body were the multitude of crimson leather straps circling its stomach and shoulders, wrapping around and attaching a sheathed sword to its back. The sword handle and sheath by human standards was massive but taking into consideration the Kitsune's size it was quite a small blade to be held with so many binds. The smoke continued to thin revealing the rest of the Kitsune in all its glory, sitting tall and proud in the world of the humans with six marvelous crimson and black tails waving calmly behind it.

Slowly, by human conception of movement, the great beast turned its head and that odd smile on its lips only grew wider, "this is the true me." Its voice was deep and booming, rumbling along the ground like rolling thunder. The mere voice of the creature made Hinata shake and fall to the ground in a heap, her pure white eyes staring up at the giant of a Kitsune in a myriad of emotions most of which were fear. Her breathing quickened yet at the same time she felt strangled, her throat being choked by an invisible force at the sheer sight of this Kitsune.

Sasuke, in his tired state, was thrown swiftly into the world of the awake and aware. His eyes were wide and his mouth agape as he took in the visage of the Kitsune before him. He had seen many pictures of the Kyuubi no Kitsune from history scrolls as had every other Genin. This had to be the closest he had ever seen to a slightly warped replica of it. He couldn't feel nor see the tell tale signs of a henge, this was completely real…for the first time since Itachi's slaughter and Orochimaru's killer intent he felt afraid to his deepest core.

"This is not my largest secret but it is quite a hefty one," the Kitsune spoke with that cavernous thundering voice, "that is why right now only you two can see and hear me. A precaution incase another Oto shinobi not in my service is in the area." He smirked at the two and dropped his head down, his chin going to the ground allowing his single crimson eye to peer at the two humans before him, _'I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that they're too scared to run off.'_

"If you are wondering why the Hokage would trust a Kitsune to train you," the beast chuckled, "him and I go far back. There is no reason, unless you attack me, that I would do harm to either of you." He knew his words wouldn't do much so instead he calmly laid the rest of his body down on the ground crushing numerous trees and the like before his massive form was at full rest on the ground. "You have two options as of this moment," the beast said calmly, "you can choose to fear me and run with no certainty of returning to Konoha free of Oto ninja attacks…or you may stay here with me to be trained."

At this point the majority of the shock had worn off, by the actions of this creature he was no immediate threat so their logical mind took a greater root in the primal instincts of fight or flight. Sasuke was seriously debating his next course of actions, against many people expectations was a very superstitious person. He may not act like it outright but when it came to serious matters such as Kitsune he carefully plotted his next move like Shikamaru would plan his games of Chess. He knew Kitsune were tricksters and according to some older history scrolls Kitsune with either black or red colors were incredibly dangerous…but what about black and red?

"Nobu-sensei?" this surprisingly quiet and nearly non-existent voice brought Sasuke from his thoughts. He focused on the great beast and Hinata who was only but a foot from the side of the Kitsune's black and red furred muzzle. The great creature's lips pulled back in a calm smile and it nodded slightly, at least the best it could do with its head on the ground. She stared for a minute before raising her hand, slowly inching her limb out towards the animal's black and red fur. Sasuke stared with undivided attention, whatever happened next would determine whether he would stay or turn tail and run as fast as he possibly could move his exhausted behind.

Hinata's hand lay down on the warm muzzle; the limb was quickly engulfed in the thick and surprisingly soft fur of the monstrous Kitsune. She gasped slightly in surprise at the feeling, she had petted the Inuzuka family dogs before but this…for some reason this was much different. This fur and the warm body beneath it radiated more than just a sense of living as the dogs did; this creature communicated a vaguely magical feeling with each moment of touch. Her hands glided over the thick fur, her palm coming over a pitch black streak that radiated power and strength however when she came the stroke the streak of blood red…it felt odd. The fur was so soft and wrapped around her hand with comforting warmth that she didn't know this beast could produce…it was unbelievably mesmerizing.

"Hinata," the beast rumbled startling Hinata greatly. She looked up at his single red eye and retracted her hand, blushing at the embarrassment of just getting lost in a trivial feeling like that. "You agree to stay?" the Kitsune questioned earning a swift nod from Hinata, "good." The great crimson eye of the beast turned to Sasuke who was slowly working his way to his feet with the tree behind him as an aid, "I'm in too Nobu-teme."

The beast grinned and slowly rose from its lying position to a more vertical sitting, towering above both the ninja and a fair amount of the trees as it rose. "Very good," Nobu said with a wide Kitsune smile, "now we can really get to training." Suddenly the black and red smoke rose again, flowing from the great Kitsune's body until it completely clouded it in multicolored mist. Hinata and Sasuke now watched in curiosity rather than fear as the beast was clouded in smoke, obscuring it from view in a haze of black and crimson.

"It's good to see you take it so well," a voice spoke, higher in tone than the Kitsune's great bellow but lower than the boy that had been named their sensei. Slowly the smoke peeled away with the wind revealing something different. Standing where the monster of a fox had once been was a young man, about the age of eighteen by the height and looks of him, with a small smile on his face.

The young man was garbed in the same clothing as Naruto had worn, in fact he looked much like the boy…exactly like him in fact despite the obvious age difference between the two. He noticed the confused stares of both Hinata and Sasuke and his smile widened into a grin, "I said there will be no more secrets. This is who I am, my 'true' human form." Sasuke spoke completely confused, "wait, why would you go around in a henge as a kid? How old are you?"

Naruto chuckled and walked over to them, his gait much longer seeing as his height was touching six feet easily, "first question, many people underestimate a child and don't think much of them even if they do look different than everyone else. Second I'm pretty young, only two hundred fifty years old." He laughed lightly at the looks the two gave him but he waved his hand, "but right now is no time for jokes. We have to get to the training grounds…five minutes ago."

Naruto turned his head to the side and instantly his eyes lit up with an odd glint, he had spotted a particularly old and strong tree that he had not been destroyed when he lay down in the forest. "Nobu-teme," Sasuke spoke still in the process of getting to his feet, "where is this training ground of yours?" Naruto grinned and walked up to the tree, placing his left palm on the trunk as he said, "right here."

Naruto winced and closed his eyes as the tattoo over his heart glowed brilliantly producing a light so bright it cut through even the multiple layers of clothes he wore. The vivid light pulsed once, twice, three times with a bright crimson glow that flowed down his arm and into the great tree he stood before. With a dazzling flash of crimson chakra the tree now held a door, a great gate of ten feet tall and four wide closing off a world unknown.

The great gateway was made of cast-iron and it depicted images of a single great and powerful Kitsune at the bottom, its nine tails reaching high and holding some item at the tip of each appendage. Each item the Kitsune held was something of significance; the object on the far left was shaped exactly like a gourd and from the oddly shaped container poured a hazy material. In the center of this gourd was a hole; in fact six of the nine items had pits in the center of them for some yet unknown reason.

Naruto turned and said, "here we are, come on now we don't have time to spare in this forest." Hinata nodded and was about to join Naruto's side until an irritated grunt sounded from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to witness Sasuke attempting without success to get more than two steps from the tree he was leaning against. She turned and walked over to him, offering her hand in assistance. Sasuke glared and shrugged her away, determined to rise on his own.

He only got as far as standing before tumbling to the hard ground once again. He growled in aggravation as he attempted to rise again but was stopped as he suddenly felt a hand on the back of his shirt, pulling him to and off his feet easily. "We will need to fix that attitude," Naruto grumbled as he threw Sasuke over his shoulder despite the protests Sasuke roared. "Oh quit whining," Naruto casually muttered as he approached the door allowing his belt to unravel and reveal six black and red tails, "I'll put you down the second we're in the door."

Naruto's tails flew from his form like fur covered whips, the tips of them diving into the six holes on the door with inhuman precision. Moments later a strident click was heard and Naruto removed his tails from the door before walking forward and putting his palm on the cold metal. With one flick of his wrist the doors swung open and a whole new world was unveiled.

Hinata stared in awe of the world as Naruto led them in, closing the doors behind them with a simple flick of his tails. When the doors closed with a mighty slam they vanished revealing nothing but the face of a great mountain. "Put me down now," Sasuke growled angrily, "we're in the damn door!" Naruto sighed and unceremoniously dropped Sasuke from his shoulder causing the Uchiha heir to fall face first down onto the rocky surface they were perched upon.

"I said put me down!" Sasuke growled jumping to his feet and glaring the taller Kitsune down, "not drop me!" Naruto only smirked and said, "my you're active for someone who couldn't walk." Sasuke blinked then realized something, he didn't feel tired in the least. Whatever exhaustion and fatigue he had suffered in the forest was gone and he felt as energized as if he had just woken up from a long sleep. Naruto chuckled and walked past Sasuke, walking to the edge of the cliff as he looked out at the world, "welcome to my home."

Sasuke turned and found himself in the same state Hinata was in, complete and utter shock and awe. The location that was presented before them was massive, large enough to fit several hidden villages in without either village running into the other in a lifetime. However it was obvious this was a realm which didn't obey the simple rules that bound the world they came from. On the left side of the world was the sun, hanging high in the sky and gleaming down upon a forest much like the one they had come from. There were various streams and rivers and life seemed to be everywhere in this perfect copy of their own world.

On the right was a scene that seemed to be from some far off planet. The zone was shrouded in an inky black shadow; the pale moon hanging high in the sky was the only source of light. It was primarily a pitch black forest, ragged trees and thorned plants grew in sparse patches but other than those bits of plant life it was completely barren. There were only miniscule glints of active life that were able to be seen and even then whatever animal was spotted the conclusion drawn was that it was not friendly in any way. The right side of this divided world seemed to be a place of darkness and death where as the left area was a haven of light and peace.

"Finally," Naruto said with a happy sigh, "I can let another secret out." His students attention was on him quickly, watching as his hands blurred into a myriad of seals. However while his hands were still going he spoke out loud, "Koudai Reikon Bunretsu." His hand flashed into a final seal that they didn't recognize and like that he was engulfed in a brilliant flare of crimson light.

Sasuke and Hinata quickly covered their eyes and anchored themselves to the ground with chakra, the power and brilliance of the chakra generated light could very well cause them to fall to their dooms from the massive cliff. Suddenly the colossal light was accompanied by a sound, the tearing winds of chakra were nothing compared to the hell born howl that rose from the center of the luminescence. They felt a chill down their spine as the roar grew within the light and fear hovered in the back of their mind with this painful sounding yell.

The bellow grew louder and louder, as if another voice had joined its cry, and the bright light slowly began to wane in power and intensity. As the light began to fade so did the painful scream, the shout seemed to be directly connected with the raw power of the produced chakra. When the light had dulled enough for the two to peer into the hurricane they saw something that rose many questions and concerns. Naruto was sitting with his legs crossed, his head bowed as he had one fist on the ground and the other hand on his knee. He was panting and gasping for air but in it all he seemed to be smiling and laughing at the same time.

"Ah finally," Naruto said lifting his head revealing a smile wide enough to swallow the moon, "it has been far too long." As more of the chakra and smoke cleared it revealed Naruto's hair had changed, instead of being black and red the entirety of his skull was covered in an untainted mess of bloody red locks. Naruto chuckled a bit and threw back his head as he spoke, "don't you think so Nobu?"

It was a single step, a soft crunch of the dirt beneath a foot, revealing something most…disturbing. Standing next to Naruto seemed to be his exact copy, covered head to toe in the exact same clothes he wore right down to the tags on his neck. However this new 'Nobu' differed from Naruto in a way that his hair was a pure jet black and his left eye was covered in a bandana revealing his right eye opposite of Naruto. If he wasn't staring at the inside of his own eyelid then the mystery would have been solved but as it was his eye was tightly shut and he stood with arms crossed next to Naruto.

"Whatever," Nobu said with a growling voice as he stepped forward and grasped the collar of Sasuke's shirt, "you'll be coming with me." "Like hell I-" Sasuke began but was cut off as Nobu's hand flew from his shirt to his throat, cutting off all of his air as he spoke in a deep, dark, and overall threatening tone, "you will listen to me here and now until you are released from this realm. This is my world just as it is his, we are one in the same so I am your sensei. Do you understand or will I have to show you my…other methods for getting you to cooperate."

Sasuke glared but rasped out a yes causing Nobu to let him go completely. "Nobu," the crimson haired Naruto calmly said from his place on the ground, "we should explain before you drag Sasuke off into the Kitsune's den." Nobu growled but begrudgingly nodded, "I'll make this quick and only say it once got it runts?" Hinata nodded quickly while Sasuke glared but shook his head lightly in understanding.

Nobu, his eye still closed, grinned forebodingly as he spoke, "I am red head and he is me, we are one in the same. Together we make the one Kitsune you know as Kuugeki Nobu but separately I am the only true Kuugeki Nobu." Naruto smiled and calmly spoke, "and I am separately called Naruto, I have no family name." Nobu visibly flinched at the title but continued on in his growling tone, "I will be your combat and jutsu instructor while…_Naruto_ will focus on your mental abilities with our vast library of ancient scrolls. We will be training here for a total of six years and before you ask the time in this world moves much faster than in the other world so only a span of a few days will pass before you return home."

Nobu chuckled darkly at the looks the Genin served him, his eye still closed but they had a feeling he could see them all the same, "any questions?" Naruto raised his hand with a small smile on his face, "yes, must you be so dramatic?" Nobu sneered and crossed his arms to the question, "shut up _Naruto_. Sasuke, for the first two years you will be with me. Let's go now and maybe I won't make you work with the handicap of a missing arm." Nobu began to walk and was soon followed by Sasuke, somewhat unnerved but determined none the less to face this challenge head on.

Hinata stared at the two retreating forms, one a six tailed Kitsune in the form of a pitch black haired man and the other a young man with spiked back pitch black hair. It had been purposeful but she began to fear the black haired Kitsune, his words and attitude revealed a cruel streak a mile long and she questioned her decision to join the original Nobu. Suddenly a hand laid itself on her shoulder and she snapped her head around to come face to face with a calmly smiling red headed Naruto, "don't worry about him Hinata-san, Nobu-san is a glutton for fear and he doesn't really follow up on his threats unless he gives them to an enemy."

Hinata suddenly felt something within her body, originating from his palm on her shoulder and flowing through the rest of her body it was…warmth. She recognized the feeling as if coursed through her blood, it was so familiar and it had only happened a few moments ago so it was still very fresh in her mind. This was the feeling…that very same feeling that she felt when her hand passed over the crimson fur of the giant Kitsune.

"Well shall we move this introduction to my abode?" Naruto asked with a kind smile, "I for one am exhausted and think a good long rest will do us wonders." Hinata could only nod as Naruto smiled brightly, "excellent to see you agree. It's a bit of a walk but I'm sure you can manage it, let's go." With those final words Naruto turned on a dime and began to stroll a calm and leisurely pace towards wherever the final destination might be. Hinata stared after him for a moment before she took one step, then two, soon she was off running in pursuit of the crimson haired Kitsune whose path lead to the land of the sun and life…

_**End Chapter**_

Hope I didn't lose my touch, how was that? Good, bad, or ugly I really want to know. I may not really be in the fandom right now but I'm sure it'll resurface some time and I'll write for a while for no reason other than I'm bored and the real world is not around. I would to Q and A but...I don't feel really qualified to do it. I feel unworthy to answer questions about a story that is slowly going into a coma for me...

I really am sorry, until next time later.

P.S. looking at the reviews...I'm starting to think this might be easier than I thought and no I'm not BSing for more reviews.


	7. Calm Before the Storm

Y halo thar! Hey it's me, you know the one who has seemed to just vanish off the face of the earth? I must apologize about my absence...I've had many things to work out. I know that isn't an excuse but I offer this new chapter for my forgiveness. It's not all that long but I hope it's up to par with my style. I will be attempting to get back into the swing of things, recently a friend of mine contacted me and he reminded me what I was doing this for. Well enough of this long winded introduction, let's get to the good stuff ok?

"Speech"

_'Thought'_

**_"Kyuubi"_**

_(Disclaimer)_

**_Chapter 7: Calm Before the Storm _**

* * *

Pale emerald eyes, orbs that had seen things most of which not meant for the eyes of a normal human, quivered with a sense of nervousness as they stared down that single seemingly insignificant wooden barrier. The sign above the door was quite simple, "Hall B." As simplistic as that two worded explanation was it gave the owner of the viridian sight a touch of complexity that made his stomach knot just a bit. 

The owner sighed and looked from the solid wooden door to the clock attached to the wall; it read in bold print 3:15 meaning he was fifteen minutes late as it was. No doubt ten minutes of that tardiness had been spent with him staring at the stained expired plant material which caused him to curse to himself, "Kuso…get your head on straight Gaara."

"Um…excuse me," a soft voice filled his ears making his ruby haired head shoot up and turn to the side. Gaara's olive ocular orbs were flooded with the vision of a curiously staring young woman. She couldn't be more than three years older than Gaara but she wore the uniform of a Chuunin, her clear azure eyes stared into his own with a curiosity and they weren't hindered by any sort of hair seeing as her bright blond locks were tied back with a pure white hair band.

"Oh," Gaara said with a blush of embarrassment as he stepped aside and adjusted his Kasa to hide his face in a soft shadow, "I'm sorry." She smiled and said, "Ah it's ok, I'm already late so why rush." Gaara chuckled, "aren't we all." She nodded in agreement, her smile growing wider by the second, "true. So what are you doing out here talking to yourself?" Gaara frowned and said not a word but in substitute he nodded his shaded head to the door he had been staring at not a moment earlier. The young woman gave a nod and soft ah of understanding, "so you must be the new recruit."

Gaara nodded, "I've been assigned by Hokage-sama to…introduce myself to the rest of the Chuunin ranks." Gaara shifted uncomfortably and after a moment of pause he continued, "and I'm not that good meeting people." The young woman giggled and said, "so?" Gaara's head quickly lifted to face the Chuunin causing his Kasa to fall of his head and to hang around his neck revealing his face to the young woman. The youthful Kunoichi smiled as she spoke, "chances are sometime you're going to make an idiot out of yourself but in the end it doesn't really matter. I heard you were accepted as a Chuunin because you helped our Genin squad in the Uchiha Retrieval mission even though you have no personal connections to Konoha at all."

Gaara slowly nodded and even then it was a slight movement, "I suppose that is true." The nameless Chuunin made her way to the door and announced with a grin, "then I highly doubt that anyone would care if you were a little foolish today. I can bet most of them are going to be silly around you as well. It's not often that you hear about those random acts of kindness in our line of work." Her hand grasped the knob of the door and she said, "I'm going in before I'm too late and Iruka yells at me for being late…again. You coming?" Gaara was quiet for a moment before he sighed and approached the door, reaching behind his neck preparing to place the kasa back on his silken blood covered head.

He suddenly felt a pressure on his wrist stopping him from moving the appendage another inch. He blinked in confusion and found his vision was taken up with a brightly smiling blond as she held his wrist with her own delicate yet deadly hand, "leave it, it looks better this way." Gaara found himself with heating cheeks but the mysterious female turned from him to the door, taking hold of the handle and opening the door with a bright grin and melodious giggle…

* * *

Sasuke doubted he had ever felt such coldness from someone he was supposed to consider and ally. This 'Nobu' or whatever his true title was radiated a sense of cold, an icy chill that Sasuke had only felt from two people in his entire life. The two beings that gave him such a sense of hatred and chilled rage were easily named, Itachi and Orochimaru. Sasuke sneered to himself merely thinking those names. A deep festering rage grew in his chest as he thought of his brother, that cold heartlessness with which he executed each and every Uchiha with save for himself and even then he bore upon him the burden of being an avenger. 

Orochimaru may not have destroyed his psyche as Itachi had but the slithering reptile had proved the perpetrator of an offense that warranted him death just before Itachi. He wished the use Sasuke as a puppet, removing his soul and invading his body for his own disturbing usage. He most likely planned to populate his compound with Uchiha's as well, growing them as one would a fruit that needed to be plucked and eaten when ripe. The mere thought of this made Sasuke clench his fist in rage and have his chakra spike without his knowledge causing the tall being leading him to stop and turn with a slight smirk upon his mouth.

Nobu took a great breath through his nose and let it out with a sigh and the words, "ah…it's been a while since I've felt hatred wafting off someone with such force." Sasuke gave Nobu a disgusted look, for some reason Sasuke felt violated and he began to question if Nobu was as bad as the snake. Nobu chuckled and said, "Uchiha-san, you have so much potential but it's being blocked." Sasuke crossed his arms and grunted out, "damn Konoha."

Nobu held up his hand and waved his finger at the young raven haired boy as he said, "see you are once more misguided. Konoha, as sheltering as it is to its Shinobi population is the most perfect place to gain power. Think of it this was Uchiha-san, where did Orochimaru originate from? He was born within the walls of Konoha and he grew in strength that rivaled a Kage before being exiled for his crimes against humanity. The Fourth Hokage was known among human and demon kind as being one of the most powerful humans of all time." Sasuke thought for a bit but didn't reveal a reaction to the information fed to him.

Nobu produced a dark smirk as he added, "I might as well throw in that you brother Itachi also came from Konoha as well as yourself and the rest of the world famous Uchiha clan. Almost every clan in the world has some roots to Konoha not to mention some of the most powerful live there as well." Sasuke tensed up at the mention of Itachi's name but held himself in check as Nobu continued, "but even if you're too blind to accept that then consider this. We are no longer in Konoha at all, we are well within my world now…"

Nobu smirked as Sasuke cast a glance around where they had stopped, in a single word it could be called grim. The moon hung high in the sky, its ethereal luminescence covered nearly everything with a wraithlike shroud and what wasn't covered by this sickly light was held within a shadow so dark that not even the intense abilities of the Sharingan could pierce them. Sasuke reflexively winced as he saw something burst from the shade of one sickly grey tree and rush to another, its body was a mass of muscle and bone that ran upon arms and legs with a speed Sasuke could only follow with his blood line limit.

The beast could be compared to a wolf but its structure was much too large to be of a canine family and its skin wasn't covered with fur. It seemed to be covered in though hide of bleak grey scales that had cruelly curved hooks protruding from the rows of scaled hide closest to the spine. Its face was constantly snarling, wicked and serrated fangs gleamed back at Sasuke as two swirling balls of ghostly white took their place in the sockets of the skull serving as eyes for the hellish beast. The white orbs stared Sasuke down as the beast flew across the land, vanishing into another inky black shadow completely.

The experience lasted but a second yet even with that short exposure Sasuke felt shivers. Looking around he found more creatures watching him closely, each a demonic vision of beasts commonly found around and within the village of Konoha. Fiendish crows rested upon the bare ashen branches of the grisly trees, their head turned to the sky as large crimson orbs in their chests stared at Sasuke with a sense of sentience that made him think they in themselves were the midnight avians eyes.

Nobu's chuckling brought him from the observations of the world around him, "so do you like what you see Uchiha-san?" Sasuke refused to show weakness so he merely grunted in the Kitsune's direction showing no fear. Nobu grinned and turned away from the Uchiha heir, "I'm impressed Uchiha-san, the last student I brought here was frightened out of their mind." "Keh, enough scare tactics," Sasuke said with anger in his voice, "we've been walking for several hours now. Where is this dojo of yours?"

Nobu laughed, "I never said anything about a dojo you just assumed there was one out here." Sasuke glared, "so why the hell have we been walking so long." Nobu grinned and said, "I just wanted to see how long before you asked me why we weren't there already. You have remarkable patience." Sasuke growled and lifted his hands to attack but Nobu spoke cutting off his actions with sharp words, "but enough of this, it's time to get one with your training." Nobu raised his hand and with a deft snap of his fingers the forests exploded with all manner of beast, their unhallowed howls and calls signaling even more of their kind to gather. They all seemed to fall in line behind Nobu; their ranks going from smallest fiend to monstrous Mephistophelian hell spawn the farther back they got.

"I call this test slash training regiment the trial of one thousand demons," Nobu said calmly as his raised his hand, "you have a half hour to establish a base of operations. At the end of thirty minutes the beasts behind me will be on your tail, you have usage of anything you have on you and anything you find to destroy the demons. With each fifty devils you kill I will teach you one technique from my private store of jutsu, you will have twenty five hours. Good luck Uchiha-san." In the fraction of a second it took for Sasuke to open his mouth and object Nobu had snapped his fingers…

* * *

"Ah isn't it a wonderful day Hinata-san?" the crimson haired Kitsune said with a bright smile, his arms stretching out wide from his body accompanied by a satisfied sigh. The world in which they existed was amazingly beautiful. As far as Hinata could see there was a proverbial sea of dark viridian, a rich forest covered with lush vegetation and inhabited by creatures commonly seen in the true world. The monumental quantity of trees and the sheer size and obvious age of the ancient wooden beings was enough to strain ones neck if there was ever an attempt to see the top. Upon the branches of these aged plants were multitudes of birds, many of which were constructing nests preparing for the sweet infantile chirps that were soon to sound. 

Hinata's vision went from the tops of the great oaks to the rich ocean of life that was the forest floor. The path they walked upon seemed to be worn into the ground, it was a direction taken multiple times but aside from this small smooth soft brown patch the rest of the world was covered with a liberal amounts of plants and other forms of life. Moving from one moss covered trunk to another were assorted squirrels, their movements and gestures were much less sporadic than their real world counterparts but they were still quick little devils that enjoyed their games of hide and seek behind the great tree trunks.

Dashing at speeds of lightning and with the grace of the gods were small foxes, their bodies of red, black, and white dashing along the forest floor. The modest little vulpine had no true destination save for every so often they went racing after the occasional rabbit. These hunts generally trailed off into the distance, the fate of the rabbit unknown as the predator speed after its skilled and elusive prey. Suddenly Hinata caught a flash of something in the corner of her eye, spinning around her Byakugan activated on instinct.

Calmly strolling through her massive field of vision was a sight that just gave you warmth deep within your heart now matter how cold you claimed to be. Side by side, almost as one, two deer calmly trotted along as if there was none existing within ten yards of themselves. Standing tall and proud was a buck, his horns long and chipped in many places showing the wear of battles fought and won. Gracefully moving beside the proud male was a doe, her form smaller than the bucks but they walked side by side nearly as equals. For a moment their heads leaned against one another, a soft nuzzle to their chosen partner proved that even as creatures of the forest there was a love held between them.

It never registered in her mind that she had stopped walking to watch the pair but Hinata was startled as a soft chuckle rose up directly behind her, "Taiki and Yasu. I don't think I've ever seen one without the other." She visibly jumped then turned around in a flash, Naruto was only standing about two feet away from her and that in itself made her cheeks begin to burn and her gaze turn toward the ground. "Come on Hinata-san," Naruto said with the omnipresent cheerfulness that was in his voice, "we aren't that far from home."

Hinata nodded quickly with the words, "yes Naruto-sensei." Naruto's barely controlled laughter made her head snap up in confusion. Naruto had a hand over his mouth as he restrained some obviously powerful laughter; had she said something funny? "Naruto-sensei?" Hinata questioned after Naruto seemed to calm a bit. He still chuckled but he spoke clearly, "that gets funnier every time I hear it." Naruto turned his single caring crimson orb to look into Hinata's pale bloodline granted pearls of eyes. A smile revealed a row of brilliant white teeth as he spoke a bit faster than normal, "no need to be so formal Hinata-san, you can call me Naruto-kun! Come to think of it I've been calling you san this entire time now haven't I?"

Naruto produced a calm smile, a quick change from his seemingly hyper outburst only a moment earlier, "it's been my mistake all this time, forgive me Hinata-chan?" Hinata felt her face burn brightly but she was able to nod and bow her head with the soft words, "hai Naruto-kun." "Good," Naruto said with a grin, "now let's get going so we can be home before dark. We have training to do and Kyuubi-kun will be anxious to meet you…"

_**End Chapter**_

Well how was that? I know it was agonizingly short compared to my other chapters but this is more like a slow warm up so I can work my way back into my old habits hence the title of this chapter. Also I am toying around with some ideas that don't have a solid ground yet. I have an idea where this story is going but I haven't any idea how to get there. This is where you fit in readers! I want, and need, some good ideas and I am hoping those thoughts can come from your reviews! Think about it, your idea may just be a star moment in the next chapter, or even chapters to come so remember to read and review! Q and A time!

Q: Nobu means knob

A: Actually Nobu, like many other words in Japanese, can mean many things and it just happens to mean knob as well as expansion.

Q: Will any other Sennin be making an appearance?

A: Well I haven't given the subject that much thought but I do hope to have Tsunade and Jiraiya show up at some point.

Q: Nobu the master of pawns?

A: Heh, I guess you could say that.

Q: Needs to be darker.

A: As you can see Nobu is the dark side. With him things will be very, VERY dark so don't worry about it.

Q: Hinata doesn't remember Naruto's name?

A: She was very young when she first met him and hasn't made the connection yet.

Q: Why train Sasuke?

A: Heh...heh...ha ha ha! Look who's training him, I don't think it'll be a problem.

Q: One is Naruto and the other is Kyuubi?

A: Eh...not quite.

Q: Will they age?

A: That will be told later.

Q: Aid of other Bijuu?

A: Oh that will be explained much later so don't fret over it now. However I think you'll like it!

Q: Haku and Zabuza?

A: Wait and see...

Q: Kyuubi's name is Nobu?

A: eh...no

Well I suppose that is that. I would like to thank you for reading this even after my long absence. I will attempt to get the gears going and finally get this show back on the road. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Remember to review! Later!


	8. Scarlet Tide

Haven't seen me in a while have you? I have been asked many questions lately, where am I, what have I been doing, why haven't I updated in ages. I honestly can't tell you why, well I could but it's incredibly stupid. I've been blocked, my head not wanting to work and me not wanting to work either. Sure college has added to that congestion but that's no excuse. I want to thank Lord of the Land of Fire, Tellemicus Sundance, and of course Kitsune Container.

LotLoF for inspiring me with his story Mother's Love, without him I most likely wouldn't be writing Naruto fiction again.

_Tellemicus Sundance_ for his thoughts and ideas on my story, he gave me some pretty good twists and turns which I'm sure you'll all enjoy.

**Kitsune Container** who has been a good friend when I was 'blocked up.' Despite not being in contact lately I hope he has been doing well and hope the world has been fair to him.

I should get started with this shouldn't I? Welcome to a tale I had once thought was forgotten, oh and before I forget...

_Happy New Year_

"Talking"

_'Thought'_

**_Chapter 8: Scarlet Tide_**

* * *

Gaara felt his pulse quicken and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. The seemingly tiny door belittled the actual size of the room, there had to easily be over one hundred people in the room and each of them wore some degree of the common Konoha Chuunin uniform. Ahead of him the bright and bubbly female that he had met but a few moments ago grinned wider than the Cheshire cat and before he could stop her she took a deep breath and blew out a whistle that could easily crack a window with the sharp sound it produced. All conversation stopped, whatever amount of eyes that were present turned almost all at once and focused their apparent rage at the young Kunoichi. 

The young woman produced a nearly manic grin and said, "Hey everybody! What'd I miss?" A few heavy stomping steps brought a scar nosed Chuunin before the grinning girl, his lips locked in a scowl and his eyes glaring down at her with the heat of hell. "NAMI!" he growled with a dangerous tone, "You're late! AGAIN!" Gaara shot his eyes to Nami's face and saw she was still grinning as bright as ever, a cheerfulness expressed in her features as well as her tone as she spoke, "Aw sorry Iruka-kun! Had a few problems getting here on time with mister sandman blocking the way."

Iruka's attention was diverted to Gaara whose expression of calm and serenity betrayed his inner emotions of confusion and slight anger at being accused of keeping Nami late. Iruka regarded Gaara with a careful eye until he spoke, "And you are?" Gaara bowed his head in respect and spoke, "My name is Sabaku no Gaara, I was told to meet here by Hokage-sama." Iruka's calculating gaze lifted and it was replaced by a kind smile and outstretched hand, "Oh so you're the new amazing young Chuunin Hokage-sama was talking about." Gaara looked at his hand for a moment before accepting it with his own; it was a bit queer to be accepted so readily…if only he knew the reason.

Nami suddenly decided to jump into the picture, taking the spot between them she placed her own hand atop theirs palm down and declaring, "And I make three!" She was at the end of many curious stares for a moment until Gaara dislodged his hand and said, "Well, it was nice to meet you Iruka-san but I can see I have many more introductions to make until I am known let alone accepted." Iruka smiled softly, a bit of pain behind his lifted cheeks as he spoke, "Acceptance is one of the ground rules for our society Gaara-san. I am sure there will be no problem with that." Name grinned brightly with a hearty thumbs up and said, "Yeah, besides I'll be right there with yah too Gaara-kun. No one can resist me; we'll have you a bunch of pals in no time!" Gaara chuckled, partiality in amusement and half in nervousness, and responded, "Well then lead on."

Gaara was then led through the throngs of Chuunin, each and every one of them different in their own little ways. He once again ran into that young man known as Nara Shikamaru, their meeting was brief with a simple handshake and nod of the head before Gaara and Nami moved on. Nami questioned their interaction and Gaara simply stated, "we have already met." "And? What's Shika-kun like?" Nami innocently questioned. "He is lazy," Gaara said with a smirk, "very lazy." Nami rolled her eyes, "Duh, tell me something I don't know."

Gaara was quiet for a moment, taking the time to shake hands with the next Chuunin and introduce himself, until he caught Nami's attention with a few words, "A Chuunin has been watching us closely." Nami raised her eyebrow in curiosity, "Well that's a given seeing as you're the one this meeting was called for." Gaara stopped, his eyes narrowing as the looked to his side, "I mean the look you give your target in an assassination mission." Nami looked around for a moment, her cerulean eyes gliding over the crowd seeing nothing out of the ordinary, "I don't see anything Gaara-kun." Gaara looked around as well finding no set of eyes glaring upon him at all, "I must have been imagining things." Nami gave him a bright grin and said, "You're just paranoid, come on let's move. I haven't even gotten a chance to talk with Mizuki-kun!" Gaara nodded, "Alright, let's go…"

* * *

Naruto took a deep breath, the fresh air filling his nostrils and lungs before he let out a great bellowing call, "Kyuubi-san! We're home!" Hinata entered tentatively, her sandal's being taken off at the door while Naruto simply entered seeing as he had no shoes to remove. When she had succeeded in leaving her footwear by the door she jogged after Naruto, his slow and calm gate quite easy to catch up to. When she was once again following him she heard a small scuffling noise followed by a soft but solid 'thunk' against the hard wood floors of the expansive home they were taking residence in. In no time a collection of soft thuds indicated that someone or something was approaching them from the hallway at very fast speeds. 

In a matter of seconds she felt a pressure wave hit her and at her feet was a sight she would later use as a taunt over and over again. Bowing as low as he possibly could was a young man, his deep crimson hair spilling over his head and onto her bare feet leaving them feeling very warm. He wore a deep red and black kimono with a symbol on the back; it depicted a Kitsune's head with a single mark in its brow being surrounded by nine tails of flame. "Nobu-sama! I'm sorry to have touched your scrolls in your absence; I was simply dusting them for your convenience!"

Naruto snickered, his laughter barely retained as he chuckled out, "K-Kyuubi…heh, look…look who you're talking to!" Kyuubi's head snapped up to face the person he was bowing to, his burning ruby eyes came in contact with a milky white that made his cheeks darken with an embarrassed flush. He blinked a few times before he muttered out in humiliation, "Oh…well then…" He pushed himself up from the floor and crossed his arms and turned away from Hinata to face Naruto, his attempt at appearing powerful and confident offset by the blush and Naruto's grinning face. "Nobu's punishment's really stick to you don't they Kyuubi," Naruto said with a smirk making Kyuubi glare, "You try being the test dummy for all of his jutsu…or being turned into a cute little fox and given to his version of…women for leaving a smudge on his dinner plate." Kyuubi shuddered, "For the rest of my life I will never forget that…"

"Well then you'll be happy to note that Nobu will not be arriving for the remainder of the month," Naruto spoke with a small smirk, "so you have just enough time to read his scrolls before he comes after you." Kyuubi raised an eyebrow, gazing at Naruto in a skeptical manner, "Why the delay?" Naruto grinned, "Kyuubi, I never knew you were so taken with Nobu's presence!" Kyuubi winced as if he had just been dipped in acid, "I'm not, I'm just curious as to why he won't be _gracing_ us with his presence." Kyuubi's crimson eyes suddenly drifted over to Hinata, his gaze seeming cruel even in their calm, dormant state. "What about this girl? Another student I'm guessing?" Kyuubi questioned, turning his full attention to Hinata, his eyes generating a light amount of killer intent on pure instinct which Hinata didn't even flinch to.

"Hinata-san here is my latest student just as Uchiha Sasuke is to Nobu," Naruto said watching the staring contest with interest. Kyuubi's killer intent slowly began to grow, his inferno colored eyes dancing with malice while Hinata's pale white orbs stared into them, transfixed on the deadly gaze and drawing all the hatred into a bottomless pool of dull emptiness. She never shook, she didn't sweat, all she did was reflexively raise her hand to block the strike Kyuubi launched against the seemingly dead girl. Kyuubi's eyebrows rose in surprise as Hinata's body pressed her advantage, moving forward and attempting a strike on the demons chest with a powerful Juken chakra spike. In the blink of an eye Kyuubi was behind Hinata, his razor sharp claws at her neck holding her still as he grinned like a kid in a candy store.

"You picked a good one Naruto-san," Kyuubi laughed, his claws glinting in the light as Hinata stood still frozen but without a single drop of fear on her face. Naruto chuckled, sweating at the brashness of Kyuubi's test, "She is quite skilled isn't she…you can let her go now Kyuubi!" Kyuubi instantly released Hinata, allowing her to relax as he responded, "My apologies Naruto-san, I merely wished to test your student in her abilities." Kyuubi smiled and moved his position back to standing before Naruto and Hinata, "I must say she is quite adept at absorbing killer intent, and her reflexes and speed are amazing. I was going half speed and she blocked it, not even Gaara-san was able to do that the first time through."

Naruto sighed unhappily, "Her life was quite harsh, it's only natural for one to adjust and adapt to the situation…but enough of this seriousness!" Naruto smiled, his arm wrapping around Hinata's shoulder and pulling her in close, her eyes snapping open in surprise as a bright blush burnt on her skin, "Now is the time for a celebration!" Kyuubi cast a glance at Hinata, her once dull eyes now on the verge of shimmering as her face was positively radiant with her blush. He let off a small knowing grin as he addressed Naruto, "And what would be the occasion Naruto-san?" Naruto smiled, beaming with the unique joy that Hinata had come to know him for, "Hinata-san becoming as my student as well as Uchiha-san's inclusion into our little group, that and the amazing growth Konoha has shown since we left it."

"What year Naruto-_sama_?" Kyuubi asked a smirk on his lips as he spoke the false honorific. "Stuff it _Kyuu-chan_," Naruto chuckled, "and a thousand year Miki should do just fine." Naruto raised his eyebrow, turning his attention to the girl still locked in his gentle grip, "Unless of course the dear Hinata-san would prefer something else?" Hinata swiftly shook her head, not trusting her voice to do more than squeak as she felt Naruto's strong protective arm around her, it felt rather nice when she thought about it. "Well then that settles it, we toast to Hinata-san and Uchiha-san as well as the growth of Konoha!" Naruto said with a bright grin on his face and a very light heart, the world was all to good to him…

* * *

'_When I pass this test I am going to KILL Naruto_,' thought as very adamant Sasuke. He looked a little worse for wear, his body seeming to have been going through a meat grinder several times over before being eaten by a dog and thrown up again. His tattered clothes were covered with slices and rips, wide open wounds and gashes spilling blood as he ran, his wildly spinning Sharingan seeking shelter, seeking refuge from the beasts pursuing him. His left arm was burnt and bloody, over usage of the infamous Chidori evident on his wounded physical being. It had only been three hours and the beasts found his hiding place, every last one of his traps had been tripped and with each trap a few demons left this world only to be replaced instantaneously with a larger and tougher opponent to face. 

In short for Sasuke it was damn near hopeless, his victory was so far away he couldn't even touch it with the wind created by his flailing fingertips. His Sharingan eyes burst open in surprise; an immense pressure hitting him from the rear sending him end over end in a hellish spin for survival. He hit the ground hard, rolling as the weight jumped from his back and came to rest a short way away with the soft skid of earth against skin. Sasuke came out of his roll smoothly, resting in a crouching attacking pose as he faced his newest opponent. His spine shivered as he laid eyes on the beast before him, the hellacious hound from earlier in the day had tracked him down. It was just as hideous as he had remembered, leathery hide, vicious spines, ravenous teeth, and ghastly appearance etched into his minds eye for all eternity.

The beast growled low, a low guttural call rumbling the ground with its deep bass vibrations. Sasuke tightened the grip on his kunai, his final weapon against these creatures of the night, nightmares incarnate which he had to face to gain the strength he so thirsted for. In a flash the beast rushed Sasuke, its body incredibly agile and quick for its size, covering half the distance between itself and Sasuke in the blink of an eye. Sasuke reacted like lightning, bringing his kunai forward in an attempt to both guard his physical being and pierce one of the hellhounds multiple eyes at the exact same time. In a speed Sasuke couldn't even capture the beast gripped the kunai between its teeth; biting down with a force unknown to any creature it snapped the thick tempered metal without so much as a chipped tooth for its actions.

Before Sasuke could react the beast swiftly shoulder rushed him, knocking him back with the force of a solid brick wall. The blow sent him rolling, his tattered form being battered along the rocky ground and into the trunk of a tree; his head and shoulders colliding with the solid oak with enough force to put a dent in the sturdy material. Sasuke came to rest in a slump, his body exhausted, and his wounds to great for any sort of human repair. His spirit, as strong and tempered as he had made it, was at its very breaking point. The hellish hound found its opening, its time to rise above its fallen kin and devour the being that came and failed the first test from Nobu.

It came like an explosion, the raw energy, the pure power, erupting from the broken body of Uchiha Sasuke. His shattered and ragged form lay at the foot of the tree, deep crimson energy flowing from him in a great torrent that couldn't be stopped by any means. "I…won't," Sasuke growled, his fingers clenching the dirt beneath his palms and grabbing great fistfuls of dirt in the process. The earth rumbled, the energy raising clouds of dust from the ground as it grew ever more massive.

"I…Won't!" Sasuke roared as his head rose from the ground, his bloody red Sharingan staring into the eyes of the death hound. The beast was frozen, staring into those rage filled orbs with the three black comas spinning.

"I Won't Die Here!" Sasuke said with a rage unmatched, his body pulling together with his pure will and this incredible power. He rose from his seat at the base of the tree, slowly pulling himself to his feet as the tidal wave of power accompanied him keeping the hound from hell suppressed with the sheer pressure of his chakra. He stood tall and proud, his wounds seeming to have vanished as he called out to the sky, challenging any and all who heard, "I WILL SURVIVE!"

It was over in a second, Sasuke crouched over the defeated form of the hellish beast. In one hand he held the stumpy neck of the hound, pressed to the ground in a vicious choke hold. His other hand was thrust into the sky, the creatures head hanging from his fingertips in a gruesome barehanded decapitation. Sasuke's breath came in quick gasps, the great power which surrounded him slowing, moving less like a tsunami and more like a powerful flowing river. The waves of his crimson chakra slowed until they became nothing but a glowing red aura around his body. The massive power was still present but holding back, waiting in its incredible potential…it was intoxicating. Sasuke's lips split in a vicious grin, the power flowing through him made him feel absolutely incredible. How had Nobu granted him this much power?! Like a junky to a fix he laughed, his mouth opened in a cruel and somewhat demonic cackle as the scarlet aura flared once more before suddenly withering into nothingness.

"Congratulations Uchiha," spoke a voice from high above, that same darkened tone he had heard only a short time ago. Sasuke turned around in a snap, dropping the decapitated prize he had gathered as he came face to face with Nobu. Nobu rested high in a tree, his body reclining against the ashen wood as he grinned down to Sasuke, his eye not even open in this sadistic joy. "You have scratched the surface of the gift that I have given you," Nobu said in a persuasive tone that hid his relative excitement, "would you like to see what else I can give you?" Sasuke didn't even wait a second before sounding his response, his loyalty adhering swiftly to the being who granted him so much strength, "Hai…Nobu-sama." Nobu's grin turned feral, his jagged teeth splitting his face in half as he spoke, "Very good!" In the blink of a Sharingan eye Nobu was before Sasuke, his hand on Sasuke's shoulder as he spoke, "Training from this point on with be dangerous, difficult, and deadly. It will dive deeper into your dark side than you can ever imagine."

Sasuke nodded quickly, bowing his head to his new sensei with a newfound form of slight respect for Nobu, anyone who can grant him this much power must be given what little respect he had for others. "I understand Nobu-sama, I am willing to go to whatever lengths I need to obtain power," Sasuke said before he was interrupted by a swift backhand from Nobu. "No," Nobu growled with stern authority, "lusting after power like that will gain you nothing but my contempt." Sasuke, with a newly bruised cheek, responded sharply, "But…"

Nobu quickly silenced Sasuke with another backhand, the Uchiha deciding to stay silent lest risk another bruise, "No, there are limits for the want and usage of power; you will need to learn them before you gain anymore. Do you understand me Sasuke…or do I have to take away what I have given you?" Sasuke winced at the implication of those words and bowed his head, "I understand Nobu-sama." "Good," Nobu said, the hand behind his back bringing to light two things of great value for the trial ahead. In Nobu's grasp were two things, a small pill bottle filled to the brim with tiny crimson pills and the leather wrapped handle of a sword lacking a blade.

"Take them," Nobu said with a grim undertone, "the pills with grant you strength and health for the remainder of your test, eat only one when it is absolutely necessary. The sword you will need to form from the power I have given you, call upon it again and focus the torrent of chakra into the handle." Sasuke was quick to grab the items, his hand stuffing the pills into his supply pouch while he held a solid grip on the swords handle. He stared at the tsuka, it was quite simple, leather wrapped with a cast iron tsuba and an empty slot for the blade.

He turned up to face Nobu for guidance but found the demon had already vanished and in his place was a rushing ogre whose monstrous hands were set to demolish Sasuke in their gargantuan grip. Sasuke smirked as his grip on the artifact tightened, maybe being marked by Orochimaru had been a good thing…it taught one how to pull chakra from deep inside quite well. Sasuke felt his chakra from within, searching for that one spot that he had briefly grasped earlier in the fight with the hound. In a flash he grabbed hold of the mysterious strength, feeling the crimson power welling inside of him he gave it a sharp pull, bringing the staggering power to the surface and focusing it into his hand, guiding the massive tsunami of power as the evil ogre came ever closer…

**_End Chapter_**

Well what do you think? Please, do be honest with me. I have been on my duff for far to long. I need some good reviews and flames to get me off my lazy wolf butt so if you're angry at my lazy skull, yell at me with fire in your breath. If you're happy to see me, tell me because I'm going to be just as eager to see you. Well I hope your 2008 will be good, I wish the best for you all. Thank you and goodnight!


	9. Promise

Yeesh, when you leave for a year people really take an offense don't they? I mean yes I deserve it but only eleven reviews, dang. Well to be honest yes that is what I deserve, and despite only getting eleven they were some of the best reviews I've gotten so far. Thank you all so much for giving me some support so I can keep movin on with this story and for those who asked questions look to the bottom for your responses. I think you'll like where I'm taking this particular tale, plenty of my patented twists and turns that causes many of you to scratch your head in confusion. If everything goes as planned then there will be a conclusion unlike any other. Without further ado let us get on with the show!

"Talking"

_'Thinking'_

**_Chapter 9: Promise_**

* * *

When later asked to explain Gaara had thought it was all too obvious yet to his newly acquired ally…friend, it was a concept quite difficult to understand. Years of spending his life with Naruto/Nobu he had gathered many different abilities, many unique ways of dealing with social situations and personal interactions. The most useful of which was the ability to tell when the darkness of Nobu found its way into Naruto's usually pleasant everyday actions, from his speech to the very way he carried himself as he walked. The moment his eyes met those of Mizuki he felt that spite, that hidden cruelty behind a seemingly friendly gaze. This made Gaara's eyes harden just a bit and his sand shift in the gourd preparing for a grisly feast. 

"Mizuki-kun, please meet Gaara-kun, our newest ally," Nami said with the very same sunshine and lollipop smile she had held from the very moment Gaara and her had entered the meeting hall. Mizuki gave Nami a bright smile, a slight twinge of desire in his actions as he responded to the charming young woman, "ah Nami-chan, how wonderful to see you!" Mizuki turned to Gaara, the glint of lust dissolved into that masked malevolence he seemed so incredibly capable of, "Gaara-san, it is an honor to meet you." Gaara extended his hand in a gesture of peace, his sharp emerald eyes watching Mizuki's every movement as he responded, "likewise Mizuki-san."

There was a slight trembling in Mizuki's hand, unnoticeable to all but those who truly looked for it. His hesitance as he gripped the outstretched hand of Gaara, holding a bit too tightly as they traded their false pact of friendly association. They jerkily released each others hand as if they had touched molten metal for every second their hands made contact. Gaara's eyes lingered on Mizuki's moments before Nami led the sand master away on a quest to meet an ever growing number of allies. The look Mizuki gave was of resentment and dismissal; Gaara made a note as Nami led him to another group…

Hours later Gaara had met the Chuunin contained within the Konoha ranks, several of them wished to take the sand wielder out for a drink, a small celebration on behalf of his victory and assistance. To each invitation Gaara had readily declined preferring to walk home and rest for the evening. It had already been such an eventful and confusing day he just craved the rest he so deserved. Gaara knew from the moment he had left the tower he was not alone, a presence was following him. Every step, every scuff of his sandal, was followed with such a precision he might have missed it had he not already felt their presence behind him.

Another skill he had picked up, being able to sense the presence of another, was very valuable in not only the ninja world but in his personal life as well. In battle he lacked a blind spot, an opening for any competent ninja to wriggle their way through. However in everyday practice it guarded him quite well from Naruto's ridiculous attempts to startle the sand user by suddenly appearing behind him without so much as a whisper. Gaara suddenly stopped, his one foot gripping the ground with chakra while his other hovered just above the ground in an attempt to trap the human shadow which followed him. Sure enough a scuffle of a dropped sandal sounded at precisely the same time his would have had he let it fall.

With the swiftness of a thrown kunai Gaara pivoted on his one grounded foot, his massive gourd spewing torrents of sand with the unbridled natural fury of a volcano as he reached his hand to the rear of his position. Gaara's face still turned away the sand flowed from his gourd in a massive river, racing along the ground at ridiculous speed for such a massive wave, as it came to grasp the following spy. He felt the chakra laden sand grasp a sandaled foot, the pulse of a quickened heartbeat was clear in the sensitive grip. The seemingly endless material quickly swallowed up to shadowy figure, racing up the thin and lithe body of a Kunoichi to their very neck, leaving not even an inch of movement for them to work with.

"AHH!" came an obviously surprised and decidedly female screech, a tone which caused Gaara's eyes to snap open wide and his head to turn quickly coming face to face with a utterly terrified Nami. "H-hey Gaara! Could yah, you know, let me down! Please!" Nami squeaked in slight panic, Gaara's hand accidentally twitched, his hand closing tighter squeezing the young Kunoichi for a brief moment in the massive clump of sand. "G-Gaara please! Please Don't Kill Me!" Nami spoke with such an alarmed pitch that Gaara took a shocked step backward, a wound long forgotten rising from his memories and biting into his very soul agonizingly.

Her frightened eyes, terrified tears starting to rise from the corners of her petrified orbs, Gaara could feel what he had kept long under control boil within. He felt the old bloodlust creep in from the very core of his mind, the great black pit of his psyche where all the vermin of his mentality dwelt. The influence of Shukaku played into his ear, the siren song of the Tanuki from so long ago replaying in his mind like a broken record. The call to kill, to decimate, to destroy, sounded again and again from his memories, from his injured and scarred soul.

Slowly, steadily, Gaara's eyes narrowed, his muscles flexed as his chakra climbed, his hand tightened in a brutal grip…and then the sand lowered, gradually bringing Nami to the ground as he guided the massive clump of shattered rock to solidly rest upon the cold earth. A brief flick of his wrist and the sand dispersed, releasing a still fearfully shivering Nami and calling all the sand back, returning it to his gourd in an incredible tornado of dust before sealing once more with the infamous cork leaving the scene as it had been only moments ago.

Gaara bowed his head, his eyes unable to make eye contact with Nami; he wouldn't allow the beast inside to have even an inch of leverage. It was true, only moments ago he could feel his body react on instinct, calling for the blood of an innocent to be spilt and devoured by the bloody king of the sands. Gaara wouldn't allow the demon to win; he refused to give into the creatures demands, his will far stronger than whatever persuasion the beast could conjure.

Gaara bowed his hands at his side as he spoke with ridged but apologetic tones, "please excuse my actions Nami-san, it was on pure instinct but it was still uncalled for. I apologize for scaring you this evening. Excuse me, I must be getting home." With that Gaara stood, his head still lowered as he turned away from the stunned blonde Chuunin. Not baring to remain face to face with Nami he reached back, grabbing the edge of his Kasa to pull it up and hide his face once more…

* * *

"D-damn Neji!" _hic!_

The voice was rather soft; the vocal chords of the speaker being so stiff and unused it resulted in a calm vocal tone when it was meant to be a harsh shout. Despite this the originator of the complaints kept talking, the soft voice of Hyuga Hinata so blue that a sailor would blush. "W-whasho great about that shtuck-up ash? Fate thish and that, h-he doeshn't undershtand a damn thing, all he shees is the inside of his own ash!" she shouted, her voice slowly getting stronger with the usage and violence she put behind each word. On the other side of the table were two very distinct faces, one of shock and one of joy. Naruto sat with one wide crimson eye, his swiftly cooling sake cup sitting between his fingers as he watched the Hyuga heiress continue her blue rant, fearing what might have actually come of serving her their aged miki.

Kyuubi on the other hand was laughing uproariously, nearly wetting himself with the pure delight he wallowed in. He knew what that thousand year miki would do to a human; it was made by mortals for the gods and demons alike so it was very, very potent. In short it was never meant for consumption by humans, he was certain that the only thing that kept Hinata from passing out was her own subconscious will to continue with her nearly endless rant. After only a single shot Hinata had gotten so amazingly smash drunk that Naruto wasn't even able to take a sip of his own drink, too blindsided by the normally silent girls' words to even lift his cup.

The moments Hinata's tongue tasted the drink she was gone, the alcohol hitting her like a freight train and causing her personality to turn a full 180 in her inebriated state. "Thosh elders are jackasses too," she growled, her muscles tensing as her mind remembered their words, their orders, the punishment she took for them. Naruto was quickly becoming concerned, his body readying to jump up and grab Hinata in her drunken rage while Kyuubi continued to laugh like a gassed hyena. "And…and my father…d-damn him!" Hinata growled, her drunken blush face cringing in rage as she lifted her cup and smashed it into the table, the fine porcelain shattering on the table and cutting her hand wide open at the same time, "DAMN HIM TO HELL!"

In her rage she stood, slamming her fist down onto the table, a crack forming along its center causing the males across the table to finally react beyond laughing and staring in startled suspense. Naruto quickly rushed to Hinata's side, wrapping his arms around the crying and thrashing girl, her sobs sounding loud and clear as he held her close to him. Despite her twisting and flailing form he never crushed her, he never held her too tight or too loose, just enough to make sure she didn't hurt herself, just holding the wounded girl. Kyuubi quickly cleaned off the table, grabbing the miki and the remaining cups he rushed them to another room leaving Naruto and the sobbing girl in his arms alone.

"Damn him! I'm tired of it; I just want you to be proud of me! Stop hating me father, please! _Stop_!" Hinata cried out, her voice at full volume as she screamed out to the sky, her painful howl enough to be heard throughout the realm of the Kitsune. No matter her thrashing, her crying, Naruto only held her, his arms keeping her close as she cried out all of her pain, the sorrow, the rage. It wasn't long before Hinata's voice gave out on her, her once rejuvenated scream turning hoarse and strained. She continued rasping out curses, pleading out for her father to accept her, on and on she went and not once did Naruto leave her side. Unknown hours later Hinata quieted, Kyuubi had cleaned up the pieces of the shattered cup, Naruto continued to keep Hinata close not letting her go once throughout her cries.

Naruto's hand slowly stroked up and down Hinata's back, calming her with his rubbing palm and soft calm whispers. Her white eyes were blurrily bloodshot, resembling peppermints, as she turned her gaze to Naruto, tears trying to fall but they had all gone leaving her with little bodily fluids but what was necessary for her to live. "N-Naruto-sensei…" Hinata began, a soft sob racking her body as she quickly tucked into Naruto's embrace. For the first time since it began Hinata responded to Naruto's presence rather than thrashing about within it. She buried her face into his shoulder, her arms encircling him as he continued his smooth calming motions, his soft voice, bringing her down from her emotional rollercoaster.

It was then Naruto knew what he had taken into his life, a scared, rejected young woman who reminded him so much of himself from so long ago. There were few who he could relate with, few who knew his pain, and of those few he wished that all had never felt the same horrible agony. Gaara was one of the minorities; he had been rejected, kept at an insane length from his entire village when all he wanted was to be loved, to be accepted, and to be a precious someone as they were to him. Instead all he got was hatred, anger, fear…something Naruto had faced many times in his life. Had Gaara not been gifted with his ultimate shield then Naruto had no doubt Gaara would be dead by now, Naruto had not been granted such luck and suffered physically for what his beast had done. He had knocked on the door of death numerous times only for the demon within to pull him back with a roaring laugh.

Staring down at this girl, this young Kunoichi, he felt that she had experienced both of their revolting pains. She was an outsider looking in; no one understood or reached out to her but a precious few. Those that felt Hinata for Hinata and not for those blank Hyuga eyes that rested in her cranium. Despite those few flecks of compassion her life was mostly empty, her psyche turning silent and withdrawn with nothing to pull her outside of her mental bubble. Her black ringed eyes, her scarred hands, her dangerously thin and malnourished body, she felt a torture that Naruto hadn't but it was just as cruel. Her clan, her family, forcing her to train, progressively transmuting her into their puppet by killing the girl inside. Naruto felt a small spark of righteous fury rise but crushed it swiftly, for him to become angry would be a momentous mistake.

Naruto's arms slightly tightened around Hinata, her sobs winding down with her consciousness stealthily slipping through her fingers as Naruto spoke the last words she would hear before the darkness claimed her, "I don't know who you really are Hinata…but if it takes the rest of my life I will find that out. That is my promise of a lifetime." For once in a very long time Hinata felt a small smile play out upon her lips, her mind swiftly falling out of her grasp as she pulled even closer to Naruto, that mystical comforting warmth from before surrounding her as she fell into a dreamless slumber…

* * *

Sasuke swiped his arm to the side, his blade shedding the purple blood which once covered it. Before him lay beasts, the endless demons which once sought him out as prey found themselves to be on their knees before an even more powerful predator. For what seemed to be miles in the distance there lay creatures, decapitated, bisected, decimated, all with the fierce strength of Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke let a small smirk find his lips, the crude hacking of his new blade seemed to do the job but he couldn't wait until he had refined his style, his strength, his power. He felt himself shiver slightly from it, the strength given to him felt amazing, he never wanted it to leave. 

Suddenly he heard the crunching of footsteps behind him, he turned with his sword in a defensive position but when he came face to face with his sensei he quickly implanted his blade in the earth, resting the cold steel in the solid ground as he bowed, "Nobu-sama." Nobu smirked, his lips pulled back in a wicked grin as he caught glimpse of the miles of dead demons what now littered the ground behind his prized Uchiha. "Very good Sasuke, but very hack and slash," Nobu said with a small chortle, "it will take some time before you learn how to be proficient with your sword, as well as the tricks it has up its sleeve." Sasuke nodded, "hai Sensei."

"But for now I suppose we can end your test," Nobu calmly began but Sasuke interrupted him with a sudden outburst, "But Nobu-sama, there is still five hours left of the training! I am able to continue, in fact I feel stronger than ever!" Nobu smirked in that sadistic sort of way he so enjoyed, "Oh? Is that what you think?" Sasuke nodded and was about to speak but was interrupted by Nobu's hand, held up between them with four of his fingers extended.

Retracting a digit it became three…then two…then one…

Sasuke's eyes opened wide, his body folding over and his arms clutching his stomach as he emptied its contents onto the ground. The pain hit him harder than anything he had ever felt before, the agony rising as though every single nerve had been set ablaze with each movement of his body. "And herein lies the only problem with the gifts I have given you," Nobu spoke with that gruesome smile, his fangs peering over the edge of his lip as Sasuke fell to his knees releasing a yellowish bile from his mouth at the extreme pain he felt.

"For the next three days you will be in this same pain," Nobu beamed that vicious smirk of his, "what I have planted inside of you is taking root, creeping into your chakra pathways preparing for the coming power. Afterwards you will need to rework your chakra control, combating demons as I teach you whatever jutsu I feel best suits your needs and your power. You are not allowed usage of the Sharingan as a shortcut; if you use your bloodline I will rip it out of your skull." Nobu reached down, grabbing hold of Sasuke's scalp and lifting the Uchiha to his feet, the action making Sasuke hiss in pain but bite back his gurgling howl. Nobu continued to pull Sasuke higher, lifting the young Uchiha off the ground by his head as Nobu continued to speak, "in two weeks the pain will return, hundreds of times worse, and it will continue to hurt for a full 66 days afterward. During this time of extreme pain you will need to train constantly, feeding the plant within the sweat, blood, and tears of your efforts. Only after all of this pain and training will you gain full access to your gifts, the power I have felt you earned."

Nobu stopped as Sasuke hung from his palm, chakra adhering Sasuke's skin and hair to the demons hand as he spoke, "will you continue, live with this pain, work for your power, earn what I have given you?" Sasuke growled his defiance, a brief moment and his darkened eyes flashed a vicious red, the pain from using his chakra almost enough to make him vomit once more and black out but he clung to his consciousness as three tomoe spun around his pupil, his bloody gaze staring at Nobu's closed eye, "I will never give up." Nobu laughed softly, an evil chuckle rising from his throat as he spoke, "I am going to enjoy training you Uchiha Sasuke, I have a feeling you will become a very powerful human."

Sasuke's stare turned from rage to surprise, the very twitches of Nobu's muscles giving him warning as his sensei's closed eye, the window to Nobu's immortal soul, opened to the endless darkness of a starless void…

**_End Chapter_**

Yo! Q & A time everybody.

Q: Will Golden Shield Twilight Sword be continued?

A: Ok...I will answer this right here and now in front of as many people who want to read this. I am not sure but I am very, VERY doubtful I will. When I was reading over Golden recently I came to realize I made more mistakes in those few chapters than I had in the entire story of Kyuubi's Gou. There were timeline problems, power inconsistency, and more OC's than the eye could see. If I were to work on Golden again I would first delete everything I have and retool it from the beginning to end. I still do have my ideas for Golden, no doubt about that, but as of right now it shall be...unfortunately...discontinued. Please don't kill me.

Q: Don't you dare leave again!

A: Not so much a question but I hope not to. There might be weeks when College has crept up on me and slain me with the books of dreaded Secondary Education and Grammar but I hope to keep going on this through the end. If I happen to miss a week or two please, go to my bio page and send me a mail to wake my hibernating butt up. It's much appreciated.

Q: Will this be Naru/Hina?

A: ...next question?

Q: Did you get the idea for Sasuke's sword from Kuwabara's Trial Sword?

A: No actually, I didn't even remember who Kuwabara was until 15 minutes after I had read that comment. I know that seems like a lame excuse but it's the truth! I swear on my tail it is.

Q: What uses are there for the sword?

A: ...cutting? No seriously, you'll just have to see mein friend!

Q: Kyuubi being a servant?

A: This was not a specific question but it must have confused a few people. To be honest I first wrote that in as a joke but left it there because while he does seem to play the servant role to Nobu you will see he acts very differently around Naruto.

Q: Is Hinata wind based?

A: Actually I have figured for most of my time with Naruto that Hinata seems to be more water based. Her movements and techniques are more smooth and flowing, healing rather than hurting but turning deadly if conditions are right. For those reasons I will primarily place Hinata in the water category for my fic but a ninja shouldn't be limited to just one element no?

Q: Is the sword Naruto has a zanpaktou?

A: ...Que? If those are the swords from Bleach then no...no it is not. You shall see eventually, trust me on this!

Q: Can you get someone to make a drawing of Gaara and Nobu?

A: Short answer no, long answer no and I'm sorry. If someone who reads this really, and I mean really, wants to then I would love them for it but otherwise it's gonna have to be a no. I have friends who are artists, no mistake there, but they are very busy people and I don't want to bug them about it. I'm already bugging them for enough stuff as it is!

Q: Cut down training screen time?

A: I'll try but I like it to much!

And there's the end of Q & A I hope you enjoyed! Well that's it for now, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed for their contributions and I hope to write until the very end for you guys! Peace!


	10. Uzumaki

Hello and good evening, I hope all has been well to you! Well same amount of reviews as last time (rants for a bit which is something no one needs to hear.) Thank you all who reviewed, you've kept this ship afloat for as long as she can possibly be without tanking so I thank you. However we should be moving onto a story that I've fallen back in love with, welcome to Crimson Void, won't you stay a while?

"Talking"

_'Thought'_

**_Chapter 10: Uzumaki_**

* * *

_**Bit by bit the sand fell, particles through the hourglass of life, as the training continued…**_

Nobu trained Sasuke, the Uchiha never once failing at any test placed before him, never once disappointing Nobu save for his total adherence to his thirst for revenge and endless power. Only once or twice in the first few weeks had Nobu been able to play head games enough with the young Uchiha for him to admit being an avenger was a useless path. Sasuke's body exhausted from pain and activity that at that point he would agree to nearly anything to make it stop. In a flash Sasuke would retract his statement, rising like a fallen phoenix and returning to his hellish training leaving Nobu to grin at his progress.

Nobu saw the spirit, the fiery heart burning within Sasuke, and he found it quite admirable. If Sasuke released these ridiculous notions of idiotic vengeance then the Uchiha might become something incredible. Nobu would laugh to himself thinking that it would be a short manner of time before he broke Sasuke of that desire, after all vengeance is only good if it's worth it…what Sasuke sought was useless rage, pointless and childish thirst to see someone pay.

Every day in Sasuke's painful training he would play with the young Uchiha's mind, twisting, spinning Sasuke's perceptions. He challenged what Sasuke's version of the world was until the Uchiha couldn't take it anymore and howled in frustration, agreeing with Nobu out of agony and irritation. Every day that breaking point was easier and easier to get to, Sasuke's mind gradually becoming used to the idea that his vengeance was pointless…a waste...

"Greetings Sasuke!" came that eerily cheerful call of his sensei, the Kitsune known as Nobu. Sasuke turned his crimson lined vision to the cheerful Kitsune; that single eye staring at him, into his soul, with its blank midnight gaze. It was a seemingly empty stare, Nobu's eye being an eerie black orb that didn't reflect light, as if whatever rays touched it were sucked into the pure nothingness deep within. "Hello Nobu-sensei," Sasuke called with a bitter, pained growl. A rough grunt later and an eruption left Sasuke splattered with a spray of royal lavender, the head of yet another demon hanging from his fingers as he preformed one of his infamous barehanded decapitations.

"How's the pain today for my favorite Uchiha?" Nobu asked before he gave a brief yawn, his lounging position on the tree branch offering him comfort as Sasuke grappled with yet another vicious ogre, its massive size and strength nothing compared to the smaller Uchiha's might. "As agonizing as ever Nobu-sensei," Sasuke grunted angrily, shifting his weight and bringing the massive ogre over his shoulder, slamming the beast to the ground and swiftly snapping its neck with his bare, purple blood covered hands.

"Good!" Nobu said with a gleefully sadistic smile, "that means it's working." Sasuke grunted out an incoherent reply moments before he vanished from view, his incredible speed carrying him to the face of a hideous beast while his monstrous strength left the creature without a head from the force of his punch. "Tell me something Nobu-sensei," Sasuke spoke in pained volumes, his body slowing down from his extreme rush but never once losing his ferocious edge as he snapped the neck of yet another hellish hound. "What makes my bid at vengeance so pointless?" Sasuke questioned, spearing the gut of a giant, his tremendous shoulder tackle sending the gargantuan being sprawling and coughing up more purple liquid.

"The Uchiha clan is dead, it is that simple Sasuke. Killing your brother over it will not bring them back. Sure he deserves to pay for his crimes but not just that, not just for harming you with his sadistic methods. He has done much worse, harming others, destroying innocent people other than you," Nobu responded simply, watching Sasuke dash up the monolithic beast's belly. Sasuke's face twisted with intense pain, the chakra he forced through his feet, rocketing his torture to new highs but never once did he break stride in his race to the top.

Drawing his sword from his back Sasuke plunged the raven black and bloody scarlet blade into the demons temple as he grunted out in his exertion, "and Orochimaru?" "Once again, he deserves punishment but on the whole rather than just for what he has done to you. It is obvious he is an evil greater than me, and while I am mostly benign except to those who anger me, Orochimaru will kill innocents for the fun of it," Nobu spoke observing as Sasuke leaned on his blade, allowing himself a brief rest on the pillar that was his weapon, "Orochimaru is an evil that needs to be disposed of, his taint of the world should not be allowed to fester."

Nobu chuckled, his eye trained upon Sasuke unwaveringly, "I wouldn't mind in the least if you killed Itachi or Orochimaru, you can impale them upon your sword at the very same time for all I care. What I am saying is focus on something other than yourself, observe the world, those who surround you, and ask yourself if they deserve to feel Orochimaru's cold touch or Itachi's heartless stare. Gain your power not for your selfish revenge, expand that power for others, to rid the earth of Orochimaru and Itachi for the good of all rather than satiate your childish piss fit over being screwed over by them."

Sasuke was deathly silent, thinking in silence before he removed his blade from the giants' skull, slicing to the side with a swift sure swing splitting a rushing hound from nose to tail, "and for the power I desire?" "There is nothing wrong with wanting more power," Nobu spoke, his eye observing Sasuke's Kenjutsu; swift, deadly, yet elegant in its own brutal way, reminiscent of a raging inferno. "The problem arises when you will do absolutely anything to gain it. I, unlike most of my kin, am a creature of honor and if you have gained the respect and trust of one you must adhere to it as if it were your lifeblood. To throw away that connection, that trust, would be a waste as your honor and your greatest strength would be destroyed," Nobu said surely, Sasuke's final stroke in his inhuman swordplay cleaving yet another muscular ogre from head to toe.

Sasuke stared at Nobu in confused silence, watching as the demon grinned and explained, "Haven't you ever felt that power, that strength rise inside of you when you protect something that you find precious to you? Seen the pure might of those protecting people whom they trust and who trust them? This is the price you pay if you do anything to gain your power, you loose this endless well of strength, you loose this incredible advantage. Sure it does come with its share of disadvantages but if you find yourself outmatched, outclassed there is always help out there. Always there to give you that strength you need to win." Sasuke raised his eyebrow despite the pain it caused, "you, a Void Kitsune, are telling me about the need for precious people?" Nobu chuckled, his eye closing with mirth, "of the Void I may be but I do have a heart, it comes from being part of…_him_. If I wasn't then I would most likely be multitudes worse than Orochimaru right now."

Sasuke nodded in understanding, his Sharingan eyes gaining a look of comprehension for a moment before he vanished quite suddenly. Nobu raised his eyebrow in slight confusion before Sasuke rematerialized before him once more. Sasuke's crimson Sharingan stared deeply into Nobu's bottomless Kuugeki eye, seemingly reading the Kitsune by simply staring into his dark soul. Nobu blinked and he found Sasuke's hand held out to him, a slice in the palm slowly drooling blood as Sasuke continued to watch, his stare never breaking as he spoke, "partners."

Nobu was silent; his face a blank slate, the kunai Sasuke had used to slice his hand was embedded in what little space there was between the two warriors, his scarlet liquid still dripping from it. Nobu's lips slowly parted, a grin spreading wide across his face in a smile that could be categorized as insane even for him. He reached down and grabbed hold of the weapon, slicing his own palm with the same steel letting the blood flow free as he held back his self healing chakra.

Nobu pinned the blood covered kunai between them once again, the blade digging deep into the wood as it stood in the empty space between the Shinobi. With a wet slap Nobu's hand roughly gripped Sasuke's, the intense pain already caused by cutting his own hand spiking as Sasuke just barely winced from the jolt of agony. "Partners," Nobu said with a wide grin, his Kuugeki eye staring into the Sharingan not daring to turn away from the intimidating ruby stare. Despite the pain, the exhaustion, everything that had happened to him the previous month, Sasuke let the ghost of a smirk cross his features, "good…"

* * *

_**The futures uncertain path, guided by chaos, continues to flow…**_

Naruto smiled softly, the gentle aroma of delicious tea wafting into his nose along with the thousands of other of scents drifting upon the morning breeze. The smell of a fresh rainfall upon crisp autumn leaves, winter soon to come in his land he relished these moments of peace and tranquility. It was possible for him to change his world to his wants, to make existence of every day flow identical to this moment for as long as he wished, but that sort of continuity wasn't in the least bit random or amusing now was it?

Naruto pulled the cup up to his lips and took a small sip, his eyes staring out into the wilds of his realm, observing and being at peace with all around. His attention was broken by the soft creaking of the floorboards and the nearly silent scuffle of feat upon the hardened wood. He turned to the side and caught glimpse of Hinata, her face still clinging to that last bit of sleep as she softly yawned and stretched up to the sky. Draped over her body were cream-colored robes, much like the style Naruto himself wore, and her hair was damp from her bath that must have been only moments ago.

"Ah, good morning Hinata," Naruto said with a small smile, "did you sleep well?" Hinata leisurely offered a small smile to Naruto, her soft lavender eyes seeming to shine for the Kitsune as she nodded to his question. Despite that night, so many months ago, she still rarely talked. She preferred her self induced silence and listening as opposed to opening her own mouth and possibly spilling something about her that she might regret. Maybe it came from her thought that she was still too weak, too incapable of being Naruto's student that she would let something slip in front of her sensei and cause him to see the 'real' her. Maybe the wish of hers to become a medic ninja, maybe the fact that she hated seeing blood or pain of any kind, maybe the desire she held in her heart for him…

Naruto raised an eyebrow as Hinata's face suddenly flushed a light shade of red, a blush beginning in her cheeks he questioned, "Hinata? Are you alright, you seem a little flushed. Are you getting sick?" Hinata's blush deepened and she swiftly shook her head, her voice being heard in one of her infrequent vocalizations, "no N-Naruto-sensei. It….it's just a bit cold out today."

Naruto nodded, turning away and taking a glance at the outside world as Hinata silently congratulated herself on her success. "It has been getting chilly lately," Naruto said with a gentle chuckle, "must mean a harsh winter's around the corner; that's what I _predict_." Hinata's sleepy smile began to slightly beam as she sat opposite Naruto at the table, receiving the cup of tea that had been left for her and taking a slight sip of the still warm liquid. Naruto's humor was refreshing in the morning, after living in a household where no one dared to smile it was nice to see someone laugh and joke_(no matter how badly)_ so freely.

With a sudden crash the calm was broken, the creatures of the forest scattering in a chaotic array as Hinata jumped in her seat, nearly spilling her tea; Naruto merely sighed. Moments later in stumbled the ragged and lethargic form of Kyuubi; his body almost naked save for a pair of shorts and a thick red comforter thrown about his shoulders. His predatory crimson eyes were closed, one arm outstretched as he felt for his way around in his morning gloom, "mornin'."

His voice was gravely and grumpy, his shaky legs walking, stumbling, and tripping his unsteady body towards the pair who had at one point sat peacefully in their quiet morning tranquility. Kyuubi, in his last trembling steps, fell to the ground like a mighty oak, just luckily enough landing at one side of the table which was unoccupied. He slowly pulled himself up with his one arm, seating himself much like the other two he reached and grabbed hold of his scalding hot tea cup, "oh sweet warmth!" He quickly emptied the contents of the burning glass, his still closed eyes glaring at Naruto as he spoke, "why is this place so damn cold? For a fire-based Chaos Kitsune you sure enjoy ICE a lot."

"Do you have to do this every morning Kyuubi?" Naruto questioned, his eyebrow raised as he continued to stare at Kyuubi's sluggish form. "Yes I do because you refuse to turn up the damn heat in this world! We could have it 70 degrees and sunny every day but you keep turning it this dreary, frozen, ice-land!" Kyuubi growled out, pouring himself another cup of nearly bubbling cup of tea; letting out a pleased sigh the second the burning liquid slipped down his throat and into his core warming him significantly. As Naruto began to speak Kyuubi in turn tuned him out, his selective attention instead focusing all of his consciousness upon Hinata. While his mind was still in the early stages of wakefulness he was still quite aware. Being so crafty and intelligent in his advanced age of a couple thousand years he kept a close watch on the Hyuga female out of his own personal curiosity.

Her eyes were trained specifically on Naruto; Kyuubi had noticed that no matter what boring topic Naruto dragged up nor how embellished he got with details she always watched him with a sense of interest. At least that was what he thought it was at first; anyone who had come from the home that she had even seeing something like colored eyes must be intriguing. Yet the more he watched her the more he noticed something else, something that Naruto constantly skipped over in that hectic little mind of his. There was a certain gleam, a slight shine to Hinata's eyes whenever Naruto would talk. It only became more powerful when he addressed her by name, the spark turning into a luminous glow behind her gentle lavender eyes.

At first he thought it was a trick of his mind, the years he had lived catching up with him or even the simple 'Madness' that most Chaos Kitsune were prone to was finally gripping his mind after so many years of staving the dreaded disease off. The more the months passed the brighter the gleam in Hinata's eyes became, it became so potent at times that Hinata seemed almost radiant when Naruto praised her on the most trivial of subjects such as pointing out something he had missed. Of course Kyuubi himself was susceptible to the same ridiculous embellishments Naruto was but there were some things that he was absolutely sure of and this was one of them…

However today that gleam was accompanied by a slightly confused gaze, Hinata's milky white orbs misty with a few questions that the young Kunoichi wasn't quite confident enough to ask. "Hinata," Kyuubi questioned his crimson eyes bright in friendly curiosity and open in wakefulness as he addressed the Hyuga, "do you know what a Chaos Kitsune is?" Naruto's sermon was shattered, Kyuubi's question turning the room silent as Naruto's scarlet eye turned wide and slightly fearful as he stared at the back of Kyuubi's blood colored head.

Hinata was surprised by the question, one moment Naruto was explaining to Kyuubi how he thought it was rather calming to have all four seasons in his realm when the said demon Kitsune aimed a question directly to her. Hinata, despite learning so much in this world, wasn't quite sure what to make of the 'Chaos Kitsune' Kyuubi had mentioned not but a few moments before but she refrained from questioning and interrupting Naruto mid-speech. Rather than speak she shook her head side to side, indicating a negative to Kyuubi.

Moments afterward she felt that simple shake of her head was a horrendous mistake. In the span of a second a gigantic well of chakra spiked, fiery red hair stood on end, and Kyuubi's once friendly crimson gaze turned sharp and deadly. In a flash the anarchic Kitsune powerhouse stood behind Naruto, one of his clawed hands on the younger Kitsune's shoulder as he spoke in a soft hissing tone, "I believe you owe her an explanation." Kyuubi's fingers clenched into Naruto's shoulder causing the younger Kitsune to flinch in pain, "and don't skimp on the details." With that Kyuubi calmly released Naruto; his razor sharp, iron-like claws stained just a faint red as he turned slowly, a brief semi-growl rising from his throat as he left the room, red comforter in tow.

It was a pregnant silence that consumed the room this time, Naruto looking down into his tea, one hand rubbing his shoulder where Kyuubi's claws had cleanly penetrated his clothing and skin leaving four small perfect slits punched in the fabric. The bleeding had stopped the moment Kyuubi had released him but the pain continued on, his single crimson eye staring into the clear emptiness that was his morning tea. Hinata stared, not quite comprehending what had just occurred but fearful none the less of the aged Kitsune's power. Despite everything she was still curious; cautiously she opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find the words, her nervousness and shy qualities preventing her from voicing her query.

Fortunately Naruto spoke for her, his downtrodden tone being a very sharp contrast to his normally up beat and carefree attitude, "Kyuubi-san's anger comes from something that happened quite some time ago, something that I prefer to forget and Nobu openly brags about." Naruto looked up to Hinata, his crimson eye reflecting one emotion that she had never seen in him before, sadness, "Hinata, being of Konoha you must have heard what happened to Kyuubi-san. Or should I say the Legendary Kyuubi no Kitsune." Hinata stared at Naruto with a mix of shock and confusion, her mind not able to comprehend that the Kyuubi she had met and befriended had once been the demonic Kyuubi no Kitsune. Call it naïve but she had thought it was simply a moniker, homage to the greatest spirit fox in all of recorded time.

Naruto offered the smallest of smirks for Hinata's expression, "I have a feeling you do. Well what Ojii-san, excuse me, Hokage-_sama_ told everyone was a bit of a fib." "Kyuubi was sealed into a child?" Hinata questioned, her voice surprisingly clear despite the soft volumes it was spoken in. Naruto smiled at Hinata's instant blush, her slight outburst surprising yet delighting him and for that he rewarded her with a bright unhampered smile. Hinata felt her pulse quicken slightly at the smile, the warmth of his grin amazingly felt from even so far away but alas it wasn't to last and he returned to his smaller, hollow smile moments later. "Correct, but when Hokage-_sama_ told everyone the container had died he wasn't telling the truth," Naruto's smirk grew a bit at Hinata's wide eyes, enraptured by his story.

"The container did die in the technical sense; he had enraged Kyuubi enough causing him to go berserk. The monster attempted to destroy the seal the only way he knew how, brute force," Naruto chuckled at the memory, "Kyuubi was surprised to see the seal activate, effectively tearing Kyuubi's body and a small portion of his mind from him and given to the container. The container was a young boy, not even a ninja trained boy, just a common orphan who was routinely beaten for carrying the Kyuubi inside of him." Naruto winced, his hand rubbing his shoulder harder as if reliving some repressed trauma. Hinata felt tears prick the sides of her eyes but rubbed them away as Naruto continued, "the seals original design was to wait until the Kyuubi attempted a more tactical approach to removing the seal when it would give a portion of the body to the child then slowly release the rest of the demons power the older he got…its fall back plan was to force every last bit of the Kyuubi's horrible strength upon the boy and hope for the best."

Naruto sighed in exasperation, "the boy saw things no human should ever see, felt pain that couldn't be measured by any scale, for the boy the transfer was total and utter hell. When it was all over the container was dead, his spirit broken by the massive power of the Kitsune's body and his mind shattered from a mere fraction of the Kyuubi's memories." Naruto stopped when he heard a soft sniffling; he looked to Hinata to find the young Hyuga heiress crying silently, tears falling down her cheeks as a hand stifled her sobs. Naruto offered a comforting smile, attempting to put Hinata's worries at rest, "but it's ok Hinata! The boy's spirit fixed itself and so did his mind, but they weren't exactly the same afterward…"

"No, they weren't," came a low rough voice from the other side of the room. Both turned to find Kyuubi, fully clothed in his black and red robe with his arms crossed and a stern look upon his features reminding Hinata of Hiashi's contemptuous stare, "his soul took too much strain along with his mind; when both entities regrouped the feelings within the child's inner selves attracted like emotions and thoughts until two completely separate beings existed. Love, joy, passion, and happiness formed one mind and soul while hate, anger, fear, and sorrow formed the other. One collection of emotions was given half of my body, a red Chaos coat which symbolized the chaotic feelings of passion and delight. The other, with its hatred and malice, was labeled a Void Kitsune and granted the remaining half where it transformed to fit its label. Despite being two different souls the bodies remained as one, the attraction from the once whole soul pieces to great they mixed into one another as a combination Chaos Void Kitsune."

Naruto looked to Hinata, her eyes shocked as she looked from Kyuubi to Naruto, a glint of realization flashing across them as Naruto offered a fairly hollow chuckle, "I never did say the name of the container did I? His name was…" Before Naruto could finish his sentence Hinata called out, soft apprehension and fear behind her words, "Uzumaki Naruto…"

**_End Chapter_**

Didn't see that one coming huh? Well guess it's time for some lovely little Q & A!

Q: More Golden Questions

A::sigh:: Oh for the love of...I'm sorry but I still don't know if Golden will be continued. I know this little inquisition isn't gonna die but I can always hope no?

Q: What in the world happened to Nobu? (Void Nobu)

A: This will be explained, don't worry he's still an evil little bastard but...yeah I'm not going to make it out of this one alive. Moving on!

Q: What happened to Zabuza, Haku, Gato, and all of the Nami no Kuni mission?

A: You'll just have to wait...oh this is gonna be fun.

Q: No Harem?

A: No Harem.

Q: What are the seals on the sashes of Nobu and Gaara for?

A: Heh, heh, heh you'll just have to find out when it happens.

Q: Where do you get your kitsune lore from?

A: That would be simple, go to google, type in kitsune lore, and hit "I'm feeling lucky." That always leads to the right site.

Q: How did they get their tails?

A: That's a long and complicated one...that will be answered in the story! Ha!

Q: Training screen time for Hinata?

A: Aw why would you want that? It's just going to be that much more interesting when she finally reveals the fruits of her training...

Q: Nobu being delightfully evil?

A: Well that's a long and complex one. If I haven't explained it by next chapter then I will explain it in the next Q & A, especially if I don't explain this chapters little...antic concerning him.

Q: Gaara having influence from Shukaku?

A: Actually that is not the case, it has been shown by now that Gaara can sleep and Shukaku no longer speaks to him within his mind. What plagued Gaara last chapter was the memories of being run from and the Tanuki's evil voice in his ear. That is what made Gaara almost snap, not the demon itself.

Q: Rasengan and Hirashin?

A: Eh...no on both as of right now.

Q: Nobu a manifestation of hatred?

A: Oh...you just wait...

Q: Naru / Hina?

A: ... ::hides the thousands of Naru / Hina plushies:: seriously next q?

Q: What are the seeds and what do they do?

A: That is something very special that you will just have to wait for.

Q: The Madness?

A: The disease Kyuubi is referring to is a mental disorder that affects Chaos Kitsune who are unable to withstand their own incredible power. Chaos is complete and total disarray; such is the chakra and mental inner workings of a Chaos Kitsune. The most common way to become infected with the disease is when a Chaos gains power, and hence their tails, before first learning how to handle it. All this power overwhelms them hence leaving their mostly unprotected mind in the equivalent of a washing machine filled with razors. I Hope that this has helped you understand Kyuubi's worry.

Whelp that's it for this installation of Q&A for Crimson Void. I'm in a bit of a rush this evening, I have homework for school in many places I wish it wasn't so I think next update will be just a little late. Remember to poke me every once and a while please, make sure I'm alive ok? I hope you enjoyed, please review, and goodnight all!


	11. Cleave Pt 1

Ok, it's stress time down here at ol' UrufuKiba Co and unfortunately this chapter is ridiculously short in comparison to past chapters but I'm sorry. I've been working on so many different things here and good old writers block sucks so...yeah. I also attempted to post this yesterday but this weird login error message kept hounding me and not letting my edit / submit so there yah go. I hope you enjoy this chapter; it will most likely raise many questions which I hope it does. I'm going for a bold and somewhat stupid move but this will all make sense in the end. I hope you enjoy this latest installment!

"Speech"

_'Thought'_

**_Chapter 11: Cleave _**

* * *

Both Naruto and Kyuubi seemed surprised to hear such a clear remark from the girl, none the less Naruto responded with a nod, "I used to be Uzumaki Naruto, a long, long time ago." Naruto, still keeping hold of that curious gaze, "how do you know that name?" Hinata withered a bit under the combined gaze of the two powerful Kitsune, Naruto's look held that innocent inquisitiveness he was so capable of while Kyuubi still clung to a small portion of his previous rage which bled into his puzzled stare quite well. Hinata bowed, her pale eyes hidden behind her bangs out of pure shyness as she responded, "I…I knew Naruto-kun when he and I were children." 

Naruto was just as shocked as Kyuubi who had lost his malice the moment those words were spoken; neither could remember seeing any little girl who could even come close to Hinata's rather unique visage. "H-he was so nice to everyone….no matter what they did to him," Hinata spoke, her voice beginning to strain, "then…then he died. Th-the son of the Y-Yondaime Hokage died because…because…" The moment Hinata's body began to sob Naruto was on full blown panic mode, he jumped up from his side of the table skillfully missing the edge of the wooden platform.

He was a blur of swift movement as he raced to Hinata's side, her muted weeping and growing tears breaking what resolve he had left not to rush to her aid. In seconds Hinata found herself in Naruto's strong yet gentle arms again, from the very edges of his voice came a slightly panicked tone as he said, "no, no it's ok Hinata-chan! No need to cry!" Naruto's hand found Hinata's back and began a slow smooth stroking, hoping to soothe her crying as he held her close to his chest. At that moment Hinata would have laughed slightly, his overly alarmed tone rather humorous to all who heard it. The word _would_ being used due to the fact that Hinata found it too hard to breathe as she blushed a bright scarlet from the closeness of aforementioned Kitsune.

Naruto continued to hold Hinata in his comforting warmth, that mysterious soothing heat she had felt so many times washing over her in a great tsunami causing her body to slowly relax into Naruto's grasp. She felt her head become unclouded with her embarrassing thoughts, her blush drained from her face leaving behind only soft and pale cheeks, and a small faraway smile curved her lips upward as she unknowingly cuddled closer to the Kitsune. Naruto on the other hand has ceased his fearful consoling of the crying Kunoichi, his mind finally able to catch up with his instinct driven body and where he was at the moment. His single crimson eye glanced down at the obviously content Hinata, her eyes were lidded with her bliss and a gentle smile lit up her face. Her tears were no more, not even that persistent feverish blush that she tended to wear was present.

Naruto smiled down at the lovely young woman in his arms, it cheered his heart immensely to see her so deeply in a tranquil state. He hadn't seen her this relaxed in quite a while…in fact he wasn't sure he had ever seen her so lost in nameless heavenly charms since she had arrived in his realm. It took him a moment, a few grains of sand in the hourglass of time, before he came to realize that something rather unique was happening around him. Looking up he saw nothing but red, surrounding them was a great wall of crimson chakra. Confused for a moment he inwardly winced when the realization hit him like a freight train, his instincts had reached deep inside and grabbed hold of his chakra pulling it to the surface in an attempt to quell the Hyuga females tears. He cast one look down to Hinata, her smile still on her face as she hugged him close, even through the endless red of his idyllic chakra he could still see that soft shine in her lovely lavender eyes.

Naruto smiled back and hugged her close, his chakra retreating into his body completely leaving the pair in the harmonious tranquility of each others pleasant presence. "Are you alright Hinata-chan?" Naruto questioned, worried what his flood of scarlet chakra had done by desperately attempting to console the weeping kunoichi. Hinata, her mind still drunk on that 'oh so perfect' energy Naruto produced nearly purred out, "oh yes, thank you Naruto-kun…" Naruto's eye snapped open in surprise as he slowly held Hinata out from his embrace, his single crimson eye staring into Hinata's vacant gaze before he asked, "H-Hinata-chan? D-did you just…purr?"

In no time those eyes weren't so clouded, in fact they looked quite hysterical as her heart sped like an unruly Raiton Jutsu, her blood rushed to her face and head with such a force that it nearly caused her to pass out. "Ahem," came a cough from the other side of the room catching the pair's attention, Naruto's eye still holding a great amount of worry and bewilderment while Hinata just looked mortified beyond all belief. Kyuubi smirked at the two briefly, "As much as I'm interested in where this little…interaction is going," Naruto's look was now of pure perplexity and slight irritation, a small tint of pink in his cheeks, while Hinata was inventing whole new levels of the color red, "I am curious about something you said Hinata-san."

Hinata was close to losing consciousness, her face physically unable to receive any more blood for her blush but Kyuubi continued regardless, "You said the son of the Yondaime Hokage died correct?" Hinata nodded, her voice nowhere near trustworthy to talk at the moment while Kyuubi continued, "The only talk Naruto and I have heard of is that the_ daughter_ of the Yondaime was killed by assassination." Naruto nodded, his confusion now turned to Hinata once again who despite being embarrassed to oblivion noticed that small twinge of red, "that's correct. The last information we gathered was that Namikaze Midori died three weeks after I had left Konoha from an assassins poisoning. She was the daughter of the Yondaime right?" Hinata was still blushing true, there was no way around that with Naruto's proximity and his focus being directly upon her, but it was no where near its true potential anymore.

Instead her blush was being melded with another expression, a confused spark in the depths of her lavender pools. She watched Naruto's expression, his confused tone and gaze masking the deep seeded desire, the pleading he had hidden behind those emotions for his information to be correct. Hinata stared into those confused and somewhat frightened eyes, surprised that a Kitsune of this power was even able to be nervous made her almost freeze up but she somehow continued on.

Slowly shaking her head Hinata spoke, "N-no. Uzumaki N-Naruto was the son of Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage." It was a tense moment, Naruto's arms gradually falling lax from Hinata slowly slipping the Hyuga heiress from his grasp. Naruto's eye looked vacant, a hollow smile trapped upon his lips as his single crimson eye continued to stare unrelentingly at Hinata. For her part Hinata was puzzled but had no time to be so, in a brief flash she found herself standing opposite the room from Naruto with Kyuubi holding her up with his arm around her waist, "shit."

Hinata didn't even have a chance to consider a question because in a massive, untamed, and utterly vicious explosion the red chakra rose once more. With a brief flare the tidal wave of energy came to reach Hinata, a tongue of ruby-colored ether playfully licking at her exposed arm…it made Hinata shiver and her blood run cold…

* * *

Nobu smiled upon his student, Sasuke had just slain another beast of hell that had come to him once again with a labored swing of his arm. For Sasuke this had become less a challenge than a burden; the constant waves of enemies, while being significantly weaker than him, were becoming increasingly difficult to fight against in his advanced state of exhaustion. There was no mistake that fatigue was slowly affecting him as time passed on; the vicious pain that held him in an iron grip was still going strong with another five days to go. For a full 61 days he had not had a single second of sleep, his body in constant and anguishing pain, and a truly endless number of demons overwhelming him for every second he drew breath. Needless to say it was beginning to show vibrantly in his physical being. His crimson eyes were deactivated, the chakra they consumed not worth the effort as dark rings encircling his eyes made his deep black orbs seem so much larger and bleaker than they truly were. 

His muscles felt weak and sluggish to move, unresponsive to some of the more complex and complicated maneuvers he wished to perform. He remembered in the beginning of this test, so many seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks….he remembered a time when he would just strike at the beasts sloppily, hoping that his blade would cut a major artery or some other organ that would render his target lifeless. With such an incredible blade in his possession he had no trouble eliminating his targets but that was no where near enough. It had taken almost endless amounts of time but he came to refine and practice his style in the midst of the chaos that was now his daily life. When he gazed upon his sword he couldn't help but think most of his inspiration for his Kenjutsu came from his own lethal edge.

His sword, a four feet long double sided blade from Tsuba to Kissaki, was pitch black even along its finely grounded edges. It was maintained well, the blades kept to such an incredibly sharp degree that simply dropping a hair upon the blade was enough to split it cleanly in two. The midnight sword was covered in deep crimson designs, swirls and twists of a hellish inferno leading to just above the Tsuba where the Uchiha fan resided. The designs seemed to warp and twist around the fan, engulfing the crest in scarlet flames. Sasuke found it rather poetic but this wasn't the time to reminisce over his unforgiving steel.

With one painful snap of his wrist another best fell, its head sliced cleanly in two before Sasuke turned on his head and blocked the incoming ogre from crushing his head with the broad side of his durable blade. "Sasuke! How's it going," came that voice he hadn't gotten rest from in the past 61 days, slowly grating on his nerves no matter what pledge of partnership he had offered Nobu. "N…not now Nobu," Sasuke grunted angrily, his legs starting to buckle as the gigantic tyrant continued to force its imposing palm upon him. "Oh Sasuke you wound me," Nobu chuckled from somewhere out of Sasuke's vision, "don't want your partner to see you crushed beneath some random demons palm. Don't want to prove me wrong about giving you strength seeing as you can't…handle it."

In a flash the ogre was flying through the air, Sasuke's eyes blazing a bloody red as he vanished from view in a spark of black light. Nobu looked up with a smirk, the ogre being torn to pieces in an incredible display. Each piece of the massive creature being severed in a savage and merciless Kenjutsu Sasuke was so proficient in. In a matter of Moments the sky rained mauve, massive chunks of flesh slamming into the earth causing craters to form as the ground itself gave way to the demons thick hide. Sasuke landed on his feet, the ground giving way under him in a massive crater as he settled upon the ground from his incredible freefall. Sasuke remained crouched in his one spot, his muscles quivering just a bit as he snarled in distaste, his Sharingan eyes deactivating from chakra loss, "Damn it to hell."

Nobu chuckled, his voice causing Sasuke's head to snap up and come face to face with that psychotic sensei of his, "need some help Sasuke-_chan_?" Sasuke sneered deeper, his muscles tightening in rage as he prepared to stand and give those demons the beating of their life. Suddenly Nobu's hand found itself upon Sasuke's shoulder, ceasing the Uchiha from rising as he spoke with that vicious grin of his, "don't worry Sasuke-_chan­_ you rest a bit and I'll take care of it for now." Sasuke snarled but Nobu was too far gone at that point, his back turned to Sasuke as he confidently grinned at the incoming demons. Nobu rolled his neck, his muscles flexing and his bones popping as he prepared for the incoming slaughter.

What happened next would be forever ingrained within Sasuke's memories for the rest of his life. Nobu stood before Sasuke, his black battle armor and clothing holding close to his body as the monolithic beasts closed in upon him. In a flash Nobu had vanished, not even so much as a swirl of wind, and then the carnage began. It began with a simple hell hound, its impressive speed putting it ahead of the demonic wave. In the blink of an eye it had been dissected, from head to tail split down the middle with such precision it didn't even bleed. Sasuke stared in amazement as the same fate befell the remaining hound beasts, they were sliced cleanly in two sometimes a whole handful at a time. Not one had just been injured; every single one had been torn asunder with scalpel like wounds that refused to bleed.

In a great mass all the beasts fell to the ground, the sheer combined weight of the demonic dogs causing the very earth to shake. For a moment the ogres stopped, their minuscule eyes observing the trail of death that led to Sasuke. In that brief moment Nobu appeared before him, his lips ever grinning as he spoke, his voice taking a darker and more edged tone than before.

"Sasuke," Nobu growled out, his inky black chakra leaking from him in viscous blobs of pure darkness, "I expect you to be strong." In a flash Nobu's hands had run through a number of complex and unreadable seals, his speed almost enough to fool the Sharingan had it been active, "I expect you to learn everything I teach you. I expect you to be just as good with my jutsu as I am, even better in some cases." Nobu then let out a bone chilling cackle, the ogres which had been frozen in surprise rushing the powerful Kitsune out of pure idiocy, "Most of all I expect you to be ruthless with your enemies."

As calmly as some men rose their hand in greeting Nobu turned a single palm to the oncoming demons; the half gloved appendage facing the horde of encroaching beasts, Nobu nonplussed in his composed and smooth actions. In the very center of his palm a small disc appeared, no bigger than a single yen coin; it was midnight black in color. "Asshuku no Ichioku no jutsu," whispered Nobu, that venomous bleak chakra of his suddenly leaping up his body, oozing along his limbs in a mad dash for his hand. In a massive clump his energy visibly gathered, crawling along his arm at a furious pace for that single onyx disc in his palm…

**_End Chapter_**

Well how was that? Wasn't expecting that huh? Well maybe you did but you must have one of those Omega futuristic space brains that allow you to know what to do without even reading the manual. Anyway time for Q and A...had there been any. Must say I'm not exactly ecstatic about the review count but what the heck huh? At least it's something. Well thank you all for reading, please review! Peace!

P.S. I apologize for the length of this chapter; I honestly do not know what happened


	12. Cleave Pt 2

Ok, this is a favor from me to you. I had a crud load of junk to do today but you know what, I busted my hump and had enough time to crank this out for update time. I know this isn't the best but this is what I could do for the last puny update and you know it was actually pretty fun going light speed. I edited pretty well too if I do say so myself. But enough of all of this, you came here for one thing and one thing only. Hope you enjoy and please review!

"Speech"

_'Thought'_

_(Disclaimer) _

**_Chapter 12: Cleave Pt. 2 _**

* * *

"You," A clawed finger slowly rose, crimson chakra flickering from the beings skin and filling the air with a choking chaotic malice, "you're the one to blame." Attached to the scarlet covered arm was Naruto's trembling body; his single eye glaring with such cruel anger that Kyuubi felt the air being forced from his lungs. Hinata shivered, her spasming almost being mistaken for a seizure had it been any stronger. Kyuubi suddenly laid an arm across her, fending off the tremendous pressure with his own mounting ruby chakra. "I'm sorry Naruto," Kyuubi spoke, gently pushing Hinata backward and toward the door of the room, "I never knew, neither of us did! Hokage-sama told you your father was a very wealthy and very powerful ninja! Nothing else, you told me that!" 

Hinata had just gotten past the threshold, her body passing through the seemingly miraculous doorway when a sudden crack filled the air. Hinata turned sharply, her Byakugan eyes activating on honed instinct as she observed the scene before her. Kyuubi lay upon the ground; Naruto crouched above him with his hand balled into a tight fist beside his head. His single crimson eye shone with power, his heated chakra a beastly bastardization of his natural fluid and soothing ether. Naruto's voice was low and gravely, as if the words themselves had been dragged along a mile of rocks and broken glass. What exactly was spoken Hinata couldn't hear, all she was able to observed was Naruto's hand rising high and an ungodly amount of chakra collecting in his clenched fist…

* * *

Nobu let out a small laugh; all he could see for miles was nothing, no life, no death, just the disturbing pureness of void in the wake of his attack. Sasuke's eyes were wide in surprise and fear, what he had just witnessed would be something he doubted he would ever live to see again. "That Sasuke," Nobu said with a smirk upon his lips, the small black disc floating before his palm beginning to waver, "is something you will never learn how to do." A soft pop was heard and Sasuke noticed that small midnight coin fall from Nobu's palm, the eerily black circle descending to the earth. With a quiet crash the disc landed upon the ground, the small coin hitting the soil and vanishing into it instantly; the weight sinking the onyx circle in the ground as if it were still flowing through empty air. 

Nobu's laugher grew darker, that same insane cackle breaking into his words as his oozing chakra rose to the surface again, the ground shaking as he raised one hand to the sky. "Let's make this more interesting," Nobu said with a growling laugh, his fingers snapping sharply. The great crack of sound echoed for miles, reaching deep into the endless void of the forests searching for its prey. For a long time there was silence, only the low rumble of the ground and Sasuke's labored breathing disturbed the quiet. Sasuke's hand slowly dragged along the ground, his worn-out muscles pulling his grasping fingers toward his equipment pouch and those crimson pills Nobu had given him so long ago. He knew the pain they caused was almost legendary in itself but he knew if his energy wasn't restored soon his luck for the day would take a decisive turn south.

Just as Sasuke's fingers slipped into his equipment pouch they came…

Sasuke's fingers clenched over the bottle with such a might that he nearly shattered the fragile jar within his palm, the dread brewing deep within becoming very apparent in his haste to retrieve the pills from his pocket. "They're coming quite fast," Nobu ground out, his voice a distorted mess of his usual twisted tone, "maybe they smell your blood." In the span it took Sasuke to realize he had yet to bleed Nobu was standing beside him, that grizzly black chakra dripping down his body in ghastly clumps. Sasuke felt a stinging pain in his cheek, the smell of blood assaulted his nose as he felt a slow dribble of warm liquid flow down his cheek. Sasuke cast a glance over to Nobu who stood with a grim smirk on his visage, the tips of his clawed fingers dripping the blood of the Uchiha clan.

The screeches, the voice of a shrieking haunted corpse, met Sasuke's ear with sick vengeance. The blood Nobu had drawn sending the approaching creatures into a frenzy of chaotic wails and screeches that Sasuke had only heard once before in this bizarre alternate creation. It was at a time when Sasuke still felt vengeance was the end all be all of his life, his only path and the way to his truest power. Sasuke had been acting rather unpleasant with Nobu, complaining about the agony of his training and how this wouldn't help his bid for power in the least. It was the first time he had seen Nobu get truly angry. It was also the first and only time he saw…them.

Nobu called them Shi Niku no Youkai…Sasuke called them death. Sasuke had been punished with them; they were beasts of such horrible creation and incredible strength that he could only rightfully compare them to the infamous Hatake Kakashi in might. Sasuke was conquered, the raw strength of the Shi Niku no Youkai restrained when they soundly crushed the young Uchiha. Sasuke was beaten but denied unconsciousness, Nobu forcing a scarlet tablet down Sasuke's throat to heal and torment the boy. It was intense, Sasuke felt his skin tear and his bones boil, but with the pain came an ungodly focus. It took him several hours but he finally defeated the Youkai Nobu had sent, the single beast falling to Sasuke's victorious sword.

Now Sasuke was upon one knee, his cheek dripping fresh blood, his body weaker than he had ever felt, and at the very least fifty of those death specters tearing directly for his damaged form. Nobu laughed at Sasuke's predicament, the young Uchiha's fingers trembling so badly he nearly dropped the half filled bottle of healing pills in his shivering. "Oh I'm sure you'll live," Nobu said with a low ripping chortle, "I mean they're only after you to mangle and maim, not kill." Nobu's words did nothing for Sasuke; in fact they only spurred the Uchiha's rage, his fear temporarily ebbing under the flow of his anger. Sasuke succeeded in tearing open the jar, removing a single red pill, and popping it into his mouth.

In a wave the pain hit Sasuke, his body seeming to be set ablaze as Nobu cruelly stated, "Or maybe I set them on kill, I'm not sure." Sasuke was able to wrench one eye open, his body healing swiftly and his chakra returning to him in a monolithic tide. Beside him Nobu stood, his empty Kuugeki eye gleefully watching the Uchiha's torment and pain, his body still oozing obsidian chakra at an ever increasing pace. The ground turned black, barren and bleak everywhere Nobu's leaking energy touched; it was as if Nobu's copious amounts of chakra were a venomous acid to everything it touched.

"Better hurry Sasuke," Nobu said, looking down upon the writhing Uchiha, "tick tock, tick tock." Sasuke howled in pain, the agony of the pills this time around was too much for him to handle. It was a vicious struggle to stay conscious let alone stand to face the demons of blood and bone. With the haunting call of death they exploded from the forests, uncountable numbers of Shi Niku no Youkai on a warpath for Uchiha Sasuke.

They were horrific visions, humanoid creatures created not by a god but a deranged mad man in the midst of his most demented delirium. Most were the size of a full grown man, some were much larger, and yet others were a great deal smaller. In such a mass Sasuke couldn't tell them apart, their rotting flesh revealing bleached bones, unhinged jaws displaying thousands of needle-like teeth, raw muscles flexing and relaxing with the actions of furious racing and shrill screeching. As different as they were from one another there was one thing they shared, each and every one of them focused solely upon Sasuke, their collective howls deafening to even an earless senior. Each was incredibly fast, tearing across the land at speeds most ninjas considered a sprint but Sasuke knew this was their natural pace.

Sasuke winced, his body still in to much pain to breath heavily let alone move in his own defense. Nobu laughed darkly, his morbid cackle cutting through the endless screams, "now would be a good time to get up Sasuke…or maybe you are that weak." Nobu's chakra suddenly reacted, the sluggish seeping energy crawling long Nobu's body to focus upon his right hand. "Maybe I made a mistake in taking you on as my student," Nobu growled, his mocking laughter changing to an irritated rumble. Sasuke recoiled as much as he could; this was nothing like Nobu's past jeering comments. Those were lighthearted, always with a sarcastic grin that was only meant to push Sasuke's buttons. However these words…it felt like Nobu was preparing to kill him.

In the midst of the hellish howls, the vicious shrieks, the oncoming demons, Nobu turned to Sasuke with a smile. His single eye shut tight with his grin as his foul ebony energy gathered into his hand, his clawed nails becoming longer and sharper than Sasuke could remember them ever being. They gleamed in the light as Nobu held them up, parallel to his face, as he spoke, "Maybe it's time I killed you." Sasuke's eyes shot open, his Sharingan activating as Nobu lunged toward him, those brutal claws prepared to turn a bloody red…

* * *

Naruto's single crimson eye was wild and violent; staring into Kyuubi's slit pupils with an unrecognizable malice overflowing from his very core. Naruto's body was shrouded by his uncontrollable chakra; the massive tongues of ruby energy hotter than any flame and more poisonous than any toxin. His teeth ground against one another, more and more they resembled ferocious fangs than the bright gleaming smile he had given anyone and everyone. His muscles bulged beneath his billowing robe, the swaying material gradually being pulled tight against Naruto's rapidly growing body. His claws grew longer, sharper, his hold on Kyuubi's shoulder gouging the elder Kitsune as his other hand bled from the tightness of his clenched fist. 

Kyuubi was putting up a valiant fight, his own massive chakra being lashing out in waves to combat Naruto's nearly overwhelming pool of rage-driven energy. Yet with his own fight came his panic; Kyuubi's jumpy eyes watching the swelling of Naruto's body sending alarm through his own. "Naruto get a hold of yourself!" Kyuubi screamed harshly, his voice cutting through the rumbling of their clashing energies. Naruto growled low, his voice rough and sharp, "you caused me to be like this. You attacked the village, killed my father so he could turn me into this!" Kyuubi's eyes opened wide in shock as Naruto's face began to elongate, his thickening arms rapidly sprouting crimson fur as his tails, six blood red statements of power, flared out into an intimidating display.

Kyuubi winced as Naruto's hand clutched his shoulder even tighter, "I suffered because of you!" "You know I didn't have a choice!" Kyuubi heatedly replied, his eyes turning sharp and his chakra flaring dangerously, "I was controlled and you know it!" Naruto merely yelled in response; his scarlet chakra flashing brightly as he brought his fist up behind his head in preparation for a hideous strike. Kyuubi cringed sharply, the hand gripping his shoulder tearing at muscle and bone to hold the once legendary Kitsune down. As more chakra gathered the more distorted Naruto's features became, his body turning into the furred monstrosity that befell all Kitsune who lost themselves to The Madness.

"Naruto-kun!"

It was so soft, innocent, pure…

Past the sound of his echoing chakra, his bitter insanity, the blood rushing through his ears he heard her voice. His head laboriously came to raise, his single, slit-pupil, burning-crimson eye staring into totality and oblivion as he saw Hinata. She stood over the threshold of the room, her eyes luminous even through the barrier of energy he instinctively produced. She stood as firm as she could, speaking to him through the crimson chakra blaze. Her body trembled in fear but she remained steadfast, calling out to Naruto constantly yet her voice to him was never heard but once.

_Hi…Na…Ta…_

His body leaped from Kyuubi, his form hulking and unwieldy yet holding an unnatural grace to his actions that was a gift upon all Kitsune. His robe was split in several places, bulging muscles covered with a thick layer of vibrant crimson fur showing through in several places. His elongated fox face was covered in the same scarlet fur, his long pointed teeth bared menacingly at the approaching 'threat.' Kyuubi lay upon the ground, wincing and twisting in agony with each beat of his heart. The deep gouge in his shoulder spilling Naruto's inhuman chakra into his prone body causing him untold amounts of pain

_Hi…nata?_

Naruto growled low in his throat, his voice a garbled mix of snarls and snaps that made Hinata shiver deeply in fear; that coarse animalistic voice threatening her in a tongue quite unknown. Hinata pressed on, her legs taking a slight step forward and holding out a harmless hand to the Kitsune. He snarled low in his throat, a clear warning to back away lest she share in the fallen king's pain. Her footing faltered, her body moving back a half step as her hand recoiled to her chest on pure instinct. It stayed there for a moment as she quaked, the cold power of what used to be her Sensei and friend frightening her deeply. Her eyes closed firmly, her hand balling into a tense fist as she forced her body to cease its terrified trembling. She swallowed deeply and held out her hand once more, the snapping voice of the agitated Kitsune causing her to wince but not once turn back on her linear path.

_Hinata?_

Hinata took another step forward, then another, her hand never once curling back into the safety of her chest the closer she came to the enraged beast. Naruto angrily snarled, viciously howled, cruelly growled at Hinata attempting to drive the approaching girl away. With one swift swipe of his claws a thin tongue of horrible chakra lashed out at the young woman. The hasty blow of translucent crimson energy left a short burning gash across her stomach, her burnt and blackened skin leaking small droplets of blood from the initial impact. She winced and softly whimpered in pain, taking only one step back to recoil from the swift attack. Naruto's beastly visage grinned, snarling out sharply hoping to prove its point with that one light attack. Hinata gently lay a hand across her stomach, her palm glowing a soft viridian, and continued on; striding towards Naruto with slow, wobbling steps but steps none the less.

_Hinata!_

Naruto's brief grin was gone and replaced with a petrifying snarl, his body crouching down into a defensive pose. With each step the young Hyuga took his chakra retreated, pulling back towards his body and condensing into tighter coils around his furred flesh. The denser his chakra became the more it shivered, the more it groaned, the darker and more twisted it became. It revolved rapidly around his body, a spinning shield against the attack his primal mind was sure to come from this approaching Kunoichi. Hinata winced and staggered in her steps, pain striking her entire body as the poison of Naruto's warped chakra struck her nerves a glancing blow. Hinata's face twisted in suffering but she continued shuffling on, her hand still out to Naruto as the world gradually began to spin.

_HINATA!_

"Naruto…kun," Hinata whispered, her voice straining to even produce that much volume as she finally reached the secluded demon. Wrapped within his innumerable shells of chakra and his six formidable tails the only part of his body left to see was his face, elongated and covered with a thick scarlet fur. His lips were pulled back into an angry snarl, a deep growl sounding from his throat as if he were a cornered animal. Hinata's hand slowly reached out, past the barrier of his intimidating growl and fierce scowl not fearing for once those sharp fangs or glaring eye. His ears stood up straight in surprise, his single exposed eye shooting open in shock, as Hinata's hand softly caressed the side of his muzzle. His lips fell from their teeth baring snarl, his growl fading into nothingness as she soothingly rubbed the side of his furred face with her gentle palm. She offered him a tender smile, her eyes shimmering that pale lavender he so loved to see, as she spoke, "Naruto-kun, please come back." With those words said she slowly began to fall, her captivating lavender eyes closing as her world spun off into the depths of a crimson void…

**_HINATA!_**

**_End Chapter_**

So how was that? Not bad for a bit of a rush job no? As I said I actually had a lot of fun with this chapter and to be honest I wouldn't mind doing some speeding again. If you don't think it's a good idea then please gimmie a review telling me so…review please. Well there is actually a small bit of Q & A today so let's throw that out there!

Q: Pointless banter between Sasuke and Nobu?

A: Oh that will be explained, if you hadn't noticed Nobu seems to have completely lost it.

Q: Naruto have a sister?

A: ...Ok, that will be explained.

Q: Anime Insaniac and his theories

A: Oh! Focusing on the wrong details my friend...so close, so close.

Q: Break?

A: Break? BREAK? I don't need no stinking break! I BREAK writers block with my Brick Break! It doesn't break me! (Pokemon joke if anyone gets it.)

Q: The Madness

A: This whole little incident will be explained next chapter. It was GOING to be this chapter but I like leaving you guys hanging, this was just to nice of a little cliffhanger to let go.

Q: Monsters for Sasuke?

A: A majority of the time they are nameless Ogres and Hell Hounds that Nobu summons to battle. For special occasions and when Nobu is feeling sadistic they are special summoned tougher variations and Shi Niku no Youkai (Demon of the Dead Flesh.)

Well that's all we have time for! I hope you enjoyed...dear god am I tired. As always please read and review, I'm croaking out here so please throw some kind words my way and give me the spirit to move on. Hope you enjoyed and goodnight!


	13. Cleave Pt 3

Attention Customers: **_CRIMSON VOID XL_**

That is all.

But seriously what do you think? I did a bunch of work on this one chapter to finally round out the "Cleave Arc" or whatever you want to call it. There are more explanations in this chapter than you can shake a stick at so it's obviously going to be a big super sized edition. It's so crammed with info, action, romance (coughfluffcough), and risque humor that I really think you're going to enjoy this one. I hope you do, see you at the end, enjoy!

"Speech"

_'Thought'_

_**Chapter 13: Cleave pt. 3** _

* * *

"Damn it…" 

Sasuke's Sharingan eyes were open wide, staring into the nothingness of Nobu's merciless void orb. The twisted Kitsune's expression was warped in rage, his pointed teeth bared in vast agitation as he visibly seethed. "He just had to find out," Nobu growled low, his muscles twitching, jerking, with his blade like claws held to Sasuke's bare throat. Pressed against Nobu's jugular was Sasuke's own razor sharp blade, drawn in desperation and with pure instinct from the skilled Uchiha heir. Nobu was frozen above Sasuke, half lunging half standing with his hand ready to decapitate the Shinobi beneath his chakra clouded claws.

Nobu's eye twitched; his viscous bubbling chakra building and seeping from his body in hideous clumps. Sasuke's hand twitched slightly, his blade pressing tighter to Nobu's throat drawing a thin line a blood from the powerful beings neck. In a blur of movement Nobu spun on his heel from Sasuke, his infuriated eye turned to the encroaching demons that had full intent to destroy the boy Nobu taught. "God," Nobu growled low, his hand swiftly moving in an arc toward the approaching threat, "**DAMN IT**!" In an explosion of power the chakra gathered within Nobu's hand exploded toward the writhing mass of flesh and bone racing for their position. The raw chakra of Nobu sucking everything it touched into the nothingness of void, the pure emptiness of his rage.

In a matter of seconds the empty explosion covered the land in its darkness, pure midnight drawing the pureness of light into its jet-black depths. Faster than it began it ceased, every single Shi Niku no Youkai, large and small, vanished into a soft sizzling mist. Nobu panted, his brow breaking out in a light sweat as he hissed through his teeth with each breath. Sasuke couldn't help but stare; Nobu's black chakra hadn't receded in the least. It continued to boil over within him body, thick visible globs of the poisonous energy slowly leaking down his limbs to the ground. Suddenly the energy seemed to vanish, disappearing in a slow mist similar to the demise of the Shi Niku no Youkai. A few moments later Nobu remained standing, his breath still hissing curses and rage through his clenched fangs while the sweat on his brow evaporated alongside the vile chakra.

Suddenly Nobu took in a long, slow breath and let it out in the deepest sigh Sasuke had ever heard. Nobu finally released his frozen muscles, falling into his calm and composed stance as he turned to Sasuke sharply. Nobu stared long and hard at Sasuke, the Uchiha's fight or flight reflexes doing a number on his adrenal glands before Nobu spoke, "I apologize Sasuke. Something has come up and I will have to take a leave for a short while. The red pill has completed repairs on your body, correct?" Sasuke blinked and, for the first time since he took the crimson medication, took notice if his body was in any pain. Sasuke climbed to his feet, wincing in the same dull throbbing pain he had experienced for the 60 something days this hellish training regiment had taken up.

Sasuke came to his full height and nodded to Nobu, "hai Nobu-sensei, the pill has finished." Nobu nodded, "good, I will send a single Shi Niku grunt for you to fight with until I return." Sasuke bowed, he knew that even with the constant pain he could now defeat a single one of those demons in single combat with his newly revitalized energy. They were strong but luckily they weren't exactly the brightest creatures Nobu had created. There was silence for quite a while, Sasuke staring at Nobu in confusion as the said Kitsune stared off into space a vacant look in his single visible eye. "Nobu-sensei, what happened to you-" suddenly a shrill screech filled the forest with a horrible fear as Nobu vanished in a whirl of darkness and void. Sasuke tightened his grip on his sword, a scowl dressing his lips as he turned to face the coming beast. He would find out what the hell just happened, he swore it…

* * *

"No, No, No, No, NO!" cried the panicked tone of Naruto, his body springing forth and breaking through the shell of his super condensed and hypersonic chakra. He slid through the thick and menacing walls with ease, his destination more important than maintaining the ultimate shield. With nothing to stabilize it the whirlwind groaned even deeper, the sound of crashing and smashing filled the room as the livid chakra destabilized faster and faster as time went on. The wall of the shell warped to one side then the other, the nearly onyx walls bending under their own incredible might. 

Naruto dove, catching the noble Hyuga girl in his grasp as the shield gave its last screeching moan of destruction. Just as the swirling shell whined its demise Naruto, spun in mid-air, holding his clawed hand out to the vibrating, twisting shell of chakra turning its once deep obsidian color a smooth and even crimson hue. A great cracking sound filled the room and the shell broke, squealing in peril as it exploded into a colossal scarlet cloud. The gaseous ruby energy flooded the room in a severe haste, flowing like a river of fire set in high speed. The concussive force of the explosion was immense sending the already airborne Naruto even further into his perilous flight. Naruto crashed on his back, sliding along the hardwood floor several meters until coming to rest with his spine to the wall and Hinata held protectively to his chest.

The chakra spread swiftly, dancing along the ground and shooting through the air like flames searching for its next source of blaze. Watching the ruby inferno arc into the sky as a scarlet blaze covered the ground below; it was as if they had landed upon the surface of a gigantic red sun. With every sweep of crimson fire there was only an experience of warmth, a calming touch of heat that brought only soothing feelings to those who felt its gentle whips. The firestorm continued for several minutes, Naruto holding Hinata's limp body to his chest as he stared out into the hazy blaze he had created. All he could see was the bright burn of crimson and a dark lump somewhere along the floor some meters away. Bit by bit the fire began to dissipate, vanishing into a slow mist that hit the ceiling and then vanished into absolute nothingness.

It took considerable time but in the end there was nothing left of the altercation, the chakra shell having expunged itself of its titanic force save for a few wisps here and there of vapor-like energy. Naruto however took no comfort in this return to 'normality,' instead he instantly turned his attention to the girl in his arms. He quickly but gently held her out and into his lap, supporting her back with one arm as his other hand glowed a soft crimson and immediately went to her stomach. He leaned down swiftly; his single scarlet eye wide with fright as he listened intently for any sign of life, any breath and beat that occurred he would not miss. Her slow gentle breathing as well as her quiet steady pulse allowed him to release a breath he never knew he took. He slowly backed away from Hinata, his hand still releasing his mellow healing aura over what he thought had been her poisoned burn.

"Naruto."

Naruto's head shot up at mach speeds, his eye gazing upon Kyuubi who stood before him, his cloak ripped and torn but other than that he seemed to be perfectly fine. "If you keep doing that I think she's going to…" Kyuubi smirked in a rather lecherous way letting those words hang as Naruto gazed down to what he was actually doing. Instead of hovering above some gaping and burnt wound Naruto's crimson covered fingers were hovering over flawless pale skin. Hinata's injury was gone, wiped clean so that not even a scar remained from Madness ridden Naruto's previous assault.

What Naruto didn't understand was what Kyuubi left hanging in his commentary. Taking a small whiff of the air Naruto's expression crunched up into a vast confusion and gazed to his female student's lovely face. Her cheeks were flushed a deep red and her breaths came in quick gasps, her muscles twitched every so often while her voice moaned ever so softly in her sleep. This made Naruto's eye widen to the size of a saucer, shooting his hand from Hinata's stomach to the wall, gluing itself to the material as Hinata calmed into her peaceful rest.

Kyuubi laughed a deep perverted giggle, Naruto glaring at him with fire red cheeks as the elder Kitsune spoke, "I can't tell you how many times I charmed a woman with that move kid." This only caused Naruto's face to turn a deeper shade of red and Kyuubi's laugher to ring even louder. Instantly Naruto's hand flew from the wall to Kyuubi's mouth, snapping his trap shut with his bare hands and whispering in harsh tones, "Quiet, Hinata's asleep!" Kyuubi rolled his eyes and nodded, Naruto releasing the beasts mouth allowing him to speak. "You know Nobu is going to want to talk to you," Kyuubi said staring into Naruto's eye with his own slit-pupil no-nonsense stare. Naruto's blush suddenly disappeared, panic once again apparent in his features as he quickly hissed out, "Oh damn it you're right! I have to get out of here so nothing happens to you and Hinata!" His eye opened even further in realization, "And what about Hinata, is she going to be ok?!"

Kyuubi quickly slapped a palm over Naruto's rushing mouth, his eyes glaring as he quietly growled out, "I know you're unstable after you have an 'attack' but calm down! Find you center and all that crap!" Naruto's anxious eye suddenly snapped shut, his body's muscles tightened all at once, tensing to their maximum and gradually releasing; his lungs filling to their peak as Kyuubi removed his hand from the younger Kitsune's mouth. Naruto's breath released itself through his nose, hissing quietly as his eye opened and refocused his crimson gaze upon Kyuubi; the essence of calm and serenity.

"Thank you Kyuubi-san," Naruto spoke with a smoothed cheerful tone. Glancing down a small streak of sadness crossed his face and remained as he looked up to Kyuubi once more; offering the bundle that was Hyuga Hinata. "Watch after her," Naruto said, Kyuubi nodding and accepting the package without hesitation. Naruto hopped to his feet, brushing back his crimson hair in calm exasperation before looking back down upon the sweet heiress who called him back from The Madness. His hand gently brushed away a stray strand of hair from her face; her lilac tresses had grown in the time she had trained under his ages old guidance. Cupping pale her cheek softly he had one final thought as he seemed to vaporize into a Kitsune mist, _'I'm sorry Hinata-chan...'_

* * *

Soft pearly lavender opened to fierce bloody crimson, the owner of the pale orbs jerking back slightly in shock before slowly coming to recognize those fiery scarlet eyes, "Kyuubi-san?" The eyes backed with a low chuckle, the entirety of the legendary Kitsune in his human form moving to fill the pale vision, "Good morning Hinata, how do you feel?" Hinata sat up slowly, her hand coming to her head and lightly rubbing against her right temple. Rising from the futon she groaned softly in slight ache, "I guess I'm alright." Her quiet reply met a nodding Kyuubi, a relieved smile on his normally smirking lips, "that's a relief. I didn't know if the poison was still in your system." "Poison?" Hinata questioned, her soft voice and minor tilt of her head making Kyuubi's lips open wider in an amused grin. 

"Yeah, that hit from Naruto's chakra…" he trailed off as Hinata's confused expression was hit with a pang of sorrow and regret. "Hey," Kyuubi gruffly spoke, Hinata's head snapping up to face his intense red eyes, "it's not your fault that happened. It was going to happen eventually and I have a feeling…well let's just say Nobu is going to get chewed out in the worst way known to man or demon." Hinata blinked in confusion before Kyuubi sighed, "I suppose I might as well tell you everything. I don't doubt Naruto would want to do it himself but you're just going to be racking your brain wondering what the hell just went on. Am I right?" Hinata nodded, her lavender eyes watching Kyuubi's every last movement and twitch out of habit.

For his part Kyuubi was restraining himself, without Naruto around Hinata might as well have been a pair of eyes in a painting. She was akin to one of those eerie visages that just seem to follow you around the room with their blind unnatural sight. Recently she was getting better at her communication skills but after Naruto's 'attack' he knew it might take some time to regain what progress she had made. Kyuubi coughed, turning his eyes away to the side to avoid her ghostly sight as he spoke, "for you to understand what I'm going to tell you I'm going to have to share a bit more about what a Chaos Kitsune is."

Kyuubi looked up to the sky, his crimson eyes rolling up as they fetched the lengthy information from his eons old knowledge, "Kitsune, once they reach their fifth tail, are given a rank and title. Sort of like a profession in the world of fox demons. Some Kitsune specialize in water control, their fur is blue and shines like light on water. Others control the earth, their fur is generally a deep dirty brown and they rarely raise their tails from the ground; they feel some type of mystic connection with the ground or something like that."

Kyuubi cast a glance over to Hinata, her eyes staring at him as if they were attempting to draw the knowledge from him directly, "But there are some Kitsune who find their specialty on very specific and spiritual things. White coat Kitsune are beings of peace and healing, they can bring almost anything from the claws of death back to life and perfect health. Gold coat Kitsune are beings of protection and guardianship, they are one of the most powerful coats but I've never heard of one ever gaining nine tails."

Kyuubi sighed, "However a Chaos Kitsune, crimson coat, is a creature of pure anarchy and disorder. We have no set element and no true beginning or end, we just exist. That's not to say we are evil nor are we good." Kyuubi chuckled seeing Hinata's confused stare, "Kitsune, by their nature, do not choose a side between good and evil. There are very few demon foxes that choose an alignment of good and evil, only four types that I know of. Actually I think almost every Chaos Kitsune I have ever met has had very deep and very different moral codes that they fight to the death for."

Kyuubi waved a hand dismissively, his eyes closed as he continued his lecture, "in any case Chaos Kitsune revel in mayhem. Causing a Chaos Kitsune to become angry is a very big mistake, while most other creatures get sloppy from anger clouding their movements Chaos Kitsune actually get stronger. We avoid faster, hit harder, and become almost impossible to predict even for the most powerful Kitsune." Kyuubi sighed, turning to Hinata completely now and staring right into her eyes, "But there is a disadvantage. If a Chaos Kitsune is frenzied for to long they can loose their minds completely and just attack. They will go after anything in a haze of friend and foe. Kitsune call it "The Madness" and even Inari-sama fears it greatly."

For the first time since he started a flash of emotion shimmered into Hinata's eyes, "is that what happened to Naruto-kun?" Kyuubi smirked, "good to see you finally talking." Hinata slightly winced, looking down to the side in shame at her reversion to old and unwanted habits. "Hey don't worry about it," Kyuubi muttered out, "shell shock does that to you. Just speak up a bit more got it?" Hinata nodded to herself sharply before turning to Kyuubi with determined eyes, "Hai Kyuubi-san!" Kyuubi blinked in surprised at the out burst, grinning slightly, "Now as I was saying…"

* * *

Naruto burst through the underbrush, his body tearing through the endless forest at speeds putting most Jounin to shame. Wind tore past his racing form, rippling his billowing robes violently and flowing into the holes within the tough fabric, chilling his skin on contact. _'Maybe Kyuubi was right about the temperature,'_ Naruto pondered, his muscles twitching swiftly in their shivering. No matter what his face remained placid and calm, not even his charming smile broke through his cast iron stare into the depths of his realm. His instincts reacted before his eye could process the information, his body slowing from its mad dash to walking then an eventual dead stop. 

Before him lay the wastelands of Nobu, void of life and prosperity save of the random demon patrolling the line between Naruto's illumination and Nobu's shadows. Naruto stared long and hard out into the darkness of Nobu's forest, the wind blowing in icy sheets into the holes of his robe. Paying no mind to the freezing air his eye was cold and calculating, never blinking only staring out into the barren land. The soft crunching of snow below feet made Naruto's eye sharpen, for the briefest moment, then slowly turn with a grin and the cheerful words of, "if I could I would kill you."

* * *

Kyuubi tapped his chin in thought, "well what happened wasn't entirely The Madness but in a way it was. You see Naruto and Nobu are still part of the same soul hence they retain a connection of sorts. Naruto, as happy and random as he is most of the time, is actually rather reserved for a Chaos Kitsune. He could spend his day in meditation, training, and the occasional spar and be happy for the rest of his life. Most Chaos Kitsune would need to destroy something or go meddling in other people business to be fulfilled." Hinata's face crunched up in confusion while Kyuubi continued, "And Nobu! While he may be egotistical, sadistic, nasty, and an all around jackass to everyone he is incredibly kind considering he is a Void Kitsune, one of the few Kitsune who align themselves as being completely evil." 

Hinata looked down to the ground for a moment, Kyuubi watching in mild interest as the young Hyuga seemed to piece together the puzzle in her mind. "…Naruto-kun and Nobu-sama are connected. That means Nobu-sama's Void alignment drains Naruto-kun's chaotic nature and in turn Naruto-kun's neutrality is passed onto Nobu-sama?" Kyuubi stared in utter amazement, his hands raising from his sides and clapping slowly for the pale eyed girl, "I'm impressed! No one has ever figured it out that quickly." Hinata blushed slightly and smiled, looking down out of embarrassment, "thank you Kyuubi-san."

Kyuubi smirked, putting his hands to his sides once more, "but yes essentially Nobu and Naruto share their traits even if it is a small exchange. However there is a limit as to what can and cannot happen." Hinata looked up in curiosity as Kyuubi resumed his lecture, "Nobu is almost free to do and feel what he wants because if worst comes to worst his Void element will consume any harmful effects and render them harmless. Naruto on the other hand is limited into what he can and can't feel as a Kitsune. Naruto's piece of the original soul is comprised mainly of positive emotions, joy, love, happiness, and passion. However if Naruto gets angry, pissed off to the extreme angry, it's a foreign emotion to his soul and it has trouble dealing with the switch. His mind and body become overloaded and he spirals out of control turning into a technical case of "Madness" driven Kitsune."

"What about Nobu-sama's Void?" Hinata asked, curious and happy to voice a question from her normally silent person. Kyuubi sighed and leaned back as if a headache was erupting within his mind, "when Naruto gets mad the chain connecting the souls is bombarded with energy and emotions, rupturing and deteriorating until there is barely enough of a link to connect the two. Because of this Nobu begins to act like a TRUE Void Kitsune, scheming and killing for the pleasure of it while Naruto goes on a total uncontrollable rampage." Kyuubi's fingers went up to his head, rubbing his temples as he spoke, "Even worse is that the further away they are from one another the easier the link between Nobu and Naruto is to overload. The distance that can exist between Naruto and Nobu in the realm is easily lengthened due to them being the Kami of this world but that doesn't mean the chain isn't under any stress."

Hinata was silent for a few moments before speaking up, "what if the chain stays strained for to long?" Kyuubi sighed once again, images flowing through his mind making his headache pound, "if it stays strained for to long then it should, in theory, sever completely. Once it does both Nobu and Naruto will freeze completely from the shock and pain of their separated souls. For the rest of eternity they will be locked in agony until they starve to death or die by other means." Hinata gasped in surprise, eyes wide as Kyuubi chuckled, "but I wouldn't worry about it. They always find a way to fix the link." "How many times has Naruto-kun had an…attack?" Hinata questioned wile Kyuubi immediately responded without hesitation, "five times including this one. Each time it's been getting worse; the chain rebuilds itself weaker and weaker due to the stress and strain with each attack. This is actually only the second time Naruto has had poisonous chakra like Nobu."

Seeing Hinata's confused face he explained, "Nobu is the essence of negative emotions, hence his chakra is pure black and poisonous. It's kind of like a slow burning acid; he could kill most humans with just a swipe of his chakra. Naruto on the other hand is positive emotions; because of this his chakra is very powerful in healing techniques. He can cure almost any disease, mend any injury, and even create pills from his own chakra that are several times more effective and powerful than average chakra pills." Kyuubi closed his eyes in concentration as he wrapped up his lecture, "when the chain weakens Naruto's soul becomes bombarded with negative emotions and his chakra becomes like Nobu's, poisonous and acidic."

For quite some time the two were silent, Kyuubi the only one to make a sound as he crossed his arms over his chest and lowered his head with a slight grunt to watch the young Hyuga heiress. For her part Hinata was almost motionless, staring down at the ground deep in thought. Kyuubi's crimson eyes watched in fascination as slight twinges and ticks in Hinata's face indicated her emotions. First there was confusion, then contemplation, then hopelessness, then a spark of determination, followed by a swift wash of relief and hope gleaming in her lavender eyes. Kyuubi couldn't keep the confused look off his face as Hinata looked up to him with, bearing in mind what usually came from her, could be considered a sly smile, "Is the chain between Naruto-kun and Nobu-sama made of chakra?"

Kyuubi slowly nodded, not grasping what the girl was getting at, "Yes, it's a mixture of Naruto and Nobu's chakra that lets their souls communicate." Hinata's small smile grew just a bit confusing Kyuubi greatly, "Have they ever tried to strengthen the link?" Kyuubi nodded, still a bit unsure of where this was going, "Several times, but no matter what they tried they couldn't get the link to appear, not even in this realm." The smile that lit up Hinata's face could pass for absolute beaming from the normally reserved heiress, "If they saw the chain would it make it easier to strengthen and fix if needed?" Kyuubi frowned in aggravation, his agitation growing as to where this conversation was going. He was about to snap at Hinata, his temper at the end of his short fuse, before something caught his eyes. Staring into Hinata's pale, pupil-less, lavender eyes he could only grin a mile wide as the answer finally came to him, "Byakugan."

Hinata nodded quickly, an enthusiastic agreement with Kyuubi's words. Kyuubi grin was almost as wide as Naruto's enthusiastic smiles, "Well I'll be damned. Either Nobu and Naruto knew something when they took you on as a student or they just got really lucky." Hinata, lost within her elation, questioned, "Where is Naruto-kun? I'm sure he'd love to hear our idea!" Kyuubi's grin vanished and he scratched the back of his head and gained an expression of reluctance, "Right now Naruto is most likely meeting with Nobu and…that is something you won't want to see." Hinata, her gleeful mood set on hold, gazed curiously at Kyuubi awaiting an explanation.

Kyuubi for his part looked sheepish as he finished his thoughts, "Naruto is going to try and kill Nobu." Of all the things to say to the young Hyuga heiress that was most likely the worst of them all. Before he could blink Hinata's eyes opened wide in fear and surprise, her body sprung from the floor, and in a speed that could put Shunshin to shame she vanished in a blur of white and lavender. Kyuubi watched, wide eyed as he spoke to himself, "I should have probably said that there's no way they could possibly kill each other…" Kyuubi shrugged with a smirk, crossing his hands behind his head and leaning back in relaxation, "oh well, no big deal. I'm sure they'll tire each other out before she shows up…"

* * *

"I can't believe you kept this from me!" 

_**CRASH!**_

The sound of steel clashing echoed through the forest, a pair of furious blades meeting head on again and again with enough force to tear a millennia old tree asunder. Forest creatures fled for safety while even the most powerful of the demons ran for their very lives. Several trees rested upon the ground from near misses, some cleanly sliced with the finesse of a surgeon while others lay haphazardly chopped and mangled with the strike of a mad butcher.

With one wild strike yet another tree fell, a colossal oak of considerable age hitting the ground with a thunderous crash. "You lied to me!" growled Naruto, facing the fallen tree with a scowl and murderous rage in his eye. He turned on his heel in a flash, pulling up his blade and blocking the strike Nobu attempted upon his unprotected back. Within Naruto's right hand was the handle of his weapon, leather wrapped and rather simple for a swordsman's edge. However what made his weapon was the sheer size of his blade, over two meters long from Tsuba to Kissaki and a half a meter wide from razor-sharp edge to spine coated Mune. The weapon was massive, a gargantuan demons bone forged into a weapon with several lesser ribs transformed into spikes and inserted into the Mune to provide a quick retaliatory rear swing.

The sword Nobu brandished was simplistic yet deadly in its design. From Tsuba to Kissaki it was one and a half meters long, pitch black to the point of absorbing the light around it. Visually there was nothing spectacular about the blade, a simple katana curve, yet it was what happened after you were stuck that gave the sword a fearful name. Despite its vile reputation it now stood edge to edge with Naruto's massive chopper, the elegant blade dueling with the crushing slicer. In a snap they broke apart, Naruto leaping backwards and Nobu doing the same, Naruto easily wielding his blade with a single hand a testament to his strength.

Nobu grimaced as he spoke, "I only told you what you could handle!" Naruto's eye flashed a dangerous red and he vanished from view, only to reappear with his blade held high above ready to cleave Nobu in two. With a massive slash he came down upon Nobu's position, shredding everything in his rage filled blow. Naruto growled, his teeth exposed in an angry snarl as he quickly ducked down, Nobu's magnificent black blade passing overhead with just a hairs width to spare. He rose his foot and stuck into Nobu's gut hard sending the dark twin back.

With a twist of movement Naruto planted his feet, attaching them swiftly with chakra and grasping his blade tightly, "only what I could handle?!" With a massive blur Naruto turned, bringing his monolithic blade to dissect Nobu where he hovered. In a blur of movement Nobu was split in two, his eye wide in surprise at his brothers' malicious swing. In a puff of smoke Nobu vanished and in his place floated a jaggedly cut rock. Naruto winced and twitched, his knuckles white as he gripped his blade with all the strength he had.

Suddenly he took in a slow deep breath, his lungs filling to epic proportions before he let it loose in a slow hissing exhale. His single crimson eye closed at some point in his actions, his expression changing from unbridled rage to peaceful serenity. His fingers relaxed until he loosely held his blade; turning it upside down he plunged the point into the earth and let the chopping blade rest as the last of his breath came to pass.

"Nobu," Naruto spoke, not in a shout but a civil speaking tone, "I want to talk, I promise not to attack." In seconds Nobu reappeared, huffing and puffing with physical exertion as he too inserted the blade within the earth as a sign of peace. Naruto stood calm and poised; his eye still closed and upon his body stood only a few places where Nobu's blade had touched. Nobu on the other hand was a menagerie of cuts and bruises, his clothes torn and his exhaustion present in his harsh breaths and sweating brow. "Damn it," Nobu panted, rolling his shoulder in pain, "I hate how you can easily beat my Nagano Kuugeki with that pink bone chopper of yours." Naruto smirked, a smug sense of satisfaction crossing his features knowing it was he who damaged the 'oh so powerful' Nobu, "it is my nature Nobu…and Konton Oni is light red, not pink."

Nobu smirked, rolling his neck with a slight wince, "it's pink and you know it." Naruto's eye twitched in annoyance, "a blade is a weapon of chaos, thousands of different randomized and powerful styles meant for a sword which can move any where and any way it is needed." Nobu smirked, "you can kick my ass at Taijutsu and Kenjutsu but you are one dead demon in a Ninjutsu and Genjutsu fight." Naruto let off a small grin of his own, "very true but I believe there's something you have to explain to me." Naruto's eye opened, the crimson of his orb a sharp and deadly color as he spoke, "why did you lie about our parents?" The request was less a question than a demand, Nobu straightening up and offering his own serious stare, "I did it because I knew you would react with hostility. What would have happened if we were in the Hokage's office and you found out? You would have gone insane and tried to kill the old guy."

Naruto had the decency to look down and blush in embarrassment. Nobu continued the rant, "I did what I thought was best and told you that story about the Yondaime's daughter after our meeting with the Hokage. I was going to tell you the truth personally at some point but I figured it was best you heard it when no one, especially our students or Kyuubi, was around." Naruto sighed softly, grumbling out, "you have a point, I could have avoided hurting Hinata-chan." Nobu raised an eyebrow at the suffix given, a small playful smirk crossed his features as he spoke, "Hinata-_chan_ huh? Well it seems she's wormed her way into her Sensei's heart."

Naruto, his lips turning up into a nervous smile spoke, "How is Sasuke-san? Has his training under your seed been well?" Nobu's ear twitched slightly as his grin grew, enjoying the torture of his nervous brother, "Sasuke has been growing exponentially. His chakra chambers have already been completely liquefied and they are in the process of re-solidifying as we speak. He should actually be noticing his pain lessening and the beginnings of his 'ability' sprouting soon as well." Nobu's face lit up from his grin as a sweat broke out on Naruto's forehead, "so how is Hinata-_chan_? Has _sensei_ been giving her some good _"one on one"_ training?"

Naruto's eye twitched and his face broke out in a light blush, Nobu loved this in so many ways, "O-of course! H-Hinata-chan has been doing a w-wonderful job in our…training!" Nobu bit his tongue to restrain his mirth, the nervous stuttering of his Chaos brother almost had him bawling in laughter. "So tell me Naruto," Nobu began with a knowing smirk, something Naruto immediately feared, "have you considered giving her your…seed?" Naruto's eyes snapped open and he took a step back, "W-What?!" Nobu grinned, "You heard me, have you given thought to implanting your version of the 'seed' in Hinata to help her grow?"

Naruto turned away slightly, his cheeks still a flame but his voice laced with a slight edge to his nervousness, "you know I wouldn't do that to Hinata-chan! My gift was meant only for those people most precious to me! That is why Gaara-san is the only one to be given one so far!" "N-Naruto-kun?" spoke the voice Naruto least wanted to hear at the moment. His eye snapped open and gazed into the forest, his crimson orb cutting through the darkness of the canopy of trees and coming to focus upon a teary eyed Hyuga Hinata. "Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelled moments before Hinata vanished in a teary blur of white. "Smoooooooth," Nobu commented moments before one last powerful right hook was laid upon the jaw of the Void.

* * *

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto bellowed his voice echoing through the thick timber forest. He knew it was pointless to call but he wished it wasn't; he hoped that she would respond to his worried calls and pleading voice. As he spoke her name he followed her scent, her soothing aroma of vanilla and lilacs guiding his way as he expertly tracked the swift Hyuga heiress. The more scent Naruto inhaled the more he came to realize how much he enjoyed Hinata's particular aroma, her wonderful blend of smells soothed his soul greater any incense he had ever tried. He shook his head softly, warding off that distracting train of thought as he continued to follow the trail of his student…and friend. 

It led him through twists and turns, through incredibly complex and expertly crafter false trails and double backs. However in the end he found Hinata, her legs curled up against her chest as she hugged her knees tight. Naruto sighed softly and walked with a grace and silence that only a Kitsune and the master of this world could accomplish. In a few long strides he now stood next to Hinata; her curled up form resting beside the only lake constructed within his realm. She sat in a small patch cleared of snow, scorch marks on the edges of the ground told him a Katon jutsu was to blame.

The entire lake was illuminated in a soft glow, several meters wide and ringed in a dense growth of ancient trees it offered a wonderful cool haven in the summers and a beautiful sight on winter nights such as this. In the heavens hung the moon, the chase lasted well into the night allowing the bright lustrous moon to shimmer down upon what little of the surface hadn't frozen in the Kitsune realm winter. The dark sky twinkled with stars, the gleams of neighboring Kitsune realms endless distances away.

"Hinata-chan," Naruto spoke softly, the small jump in her body telling him that she hadn't sensed his silent approach. "Hinata-chan I…I'm sorry," Naruto spoke but Hinata slowly shook her head, freezing Naruto's speech in its tracks. "No N-Naruto-sensei, I'm s-sorry," she nearly whispered, the loss of the suffix causing Naruto a pain he wasn't sure he had felt before. "I…I'm s-sorry that I'm to w-weak to be one of your p-precious people," she whispered, "I'm j-just a b-burden to you and Kyuubi-san." No words were spoken for a time; it seemed so long that Hinata thought Naruto had left her to wallow in her own self pity.

Suddenly she felt the strong and caring arms of Naruto wrap around her, his cloaked limbs holding her close as he spoke in firm yet quiet tones, "Hinata-chan, you are strong. You lived in a situation where most people would just kill themselves to get out of. You stood up to me when I went insane from anger. You even brought me out of it, Gaara-san is the only other person who has been able to do that. I'm the one who should be sorry." Naruto's arms tightened a bit as Hinata shifted into his embrace, her limbs wrapping around his torso in a gentle chaste hug, "What I said to Nobu isn't what I meant Hinata-chan. You are my student but you are also one of my best friends." At that moment Hinata felt her heart twinge in pain, her arms slowly falling loose from Naruto's body, _'Just a friend? Is that all I can be to you Naruto-kun?'_

"You are one of the strongest people I know Hinata-chan," Naruto said his arms holding tight and taking a slow and silent breath of her scent, "and you are one of my precious people." Hinata felt her fears vanish in a crimson blaze, the flame of hope burning deep in her heart as he returned Naruto's tight embrace, _'I might be Naruto-kun's friend now but I have time! I will get stronger and win you over Naruto-kun; this is my promise of a lifetime!'_

"Awww, now isn't this sweet!"

In a flash the two seemed to have been blown apart, Hinata sitting alone with her knees to her chest while Naruto looked up and around confused beyond belief to how Hinata had just accomplished that feat. "I just can't leave you two alone can I?" the rough voice of Nobu spoke, a grin on his lips as he watched the two clamber to their feet, Naruto with an embarrassed glare and Hinata with a brightly blushing face. Naruto growled slightly at the appearance of his dark twin, "Why did you follow us Nobu?" Nobu smirked as he spoke, that same irritating grin he always had upon his lips, "I was bored and decided to see what you two were up to, nothing naughty I hoped."

Naruto grumbled, "For one you pervert not everything in this world is like Icha Icha Paradise." Nobu unleashed his perverted grin as he interrupted, "Is that why you read it too? A little dive into fantasy with, oh say, Hinata-_chan_?" Naruto's eye twitched horribly while Hinata's face invented several new shades of red and even a blend of purple, "Second of all don't you have Sasuke to be training?" Nobu casually yawned, rolling his head and soundly cracking his neck, "oh he's fine. As I said his chakra pathways are solidifying as we speak so there isn't much room for growth left and besides, all he needs to do is keep light training and he gets all the benefits from the seed."

Nobu's eye opened just a bit in sudden realization, his grinning features being turned upon Hinata, "you still don't know what seeds are do you?" As Naruto glared Hinata shook her head, her curious and, even Nobu would admit, cute lavender eyes shimmering in the moonlight. "Well you see MY seed works like this-" Nobu began, but he was sharply cut off by a seething Naruto, "ENOUGH! I don't know what you're planning Nobu but this stops now!" Nobu smirked, his single eye glinting with mischief as he gazed upon Naruto, "temper, temper_ Naruto_-kun." Naruto growled low, his eye twitching wildly in annoyance as he stomped up to Nobu, pointing a face directly between the eyes of the Void demon, "I'm still pissed at you over our parents. I wouldn't push my luck if I were you because I WON'T stop the next time I attack you."

Nobu raised his eyebrow and he smirked just a bit at the end, "Hinata only wants to know about the plants, I don't see why we shouldn't tell her since she's already this deep into our plans. Besides, I thought you were going to give her your 'tree.'" Naruto's hand ruffled through his crimson locks, brushing the wild spines away from his face as he growled, "Now is not the time Nobu! Give me some time to think!" Nobu shrugged, his face the essence of stone, "Fine, I'll give you some time to make up your mind." In a blur of pitch black Nobu vanished, his visage gone from Naruto's sharp vision. Naruto let loose a sigh he was holding, the hand tangled within his locks moving down and slowly massaging his temples. "Let's go Hinata-chan," Naruto spoke, intending to work all this stress of with a long walk home. Suddenly something didn't feel right, his hair stood on end as he turned and spoke with a worried voice, "Hinata-chan?"

Standing at the edge of the Lake was Hinata, her pale skin glowed with an ethereal beauty from the gentle radiance of the moon. Her wide lavender eyes shimmered with the stars as ruby red blood dripped from her lip, Nobu's sword protruding sickeningly from her bare stomach. Standing behind the young Hyuga was Nobu, his Kuugeki eye seeming to glow with the darkness of the Void as he hissed, "time's up Naruto…"

_**End Chapter**_

OH! I got you! I so totally got you! Ohhh...no but seriously what did you think? I hope you enjoyed because as exhausting as this chapter was to write I like to think it was the most fun. Time for some Q & A!

Q: Naruto's sister?

A: There is no sister to Naruto. It was Nobu keeping the truth from Naruto, there yah go.

Q: Shouldn't Nobu feel Naruto going psycho?

A: Oh he did, he seriously did.

Q: Will Nobu be killed?

A: Who wants Nobu killed? I like him!

Q: Kissing?

A: Only if you wanna kiss me and I don't want any of those at the moment.

Q: Pictures of Youkai?

A: Look at my profile, I'm going to start putting pictures there that best show the image that I am trying to convey. I will try to get as many as I can but I have high standards when it comes to art.

Q: Not showing Hinata's training?

A: Oi you people are persistent. Alright, I'll see what I can do.

Q: 50 Kakashi's at once?

A: Yes that is quite the pickle but they are only as powerful as Kakashi, not as smart as.

Well that's all there is for Q & A. Hate mail and reviews go in the little box at the bottom, don't forget it now. Hope you enjoyed this riveting chapter and look for more Crimson Void in the future! Later!


	14. A Day in the Leaf

Well hello there my many friends and stalkers! I hope you've been doing well! It's time for yet another Crimson Void update and I think you'll find this chapter more aggravating than the last. I must be getting good with this or at least I'm falling back into my old grooves of Fiction writing.

**_WARNING: _**Reading this fiction without reviewing is a crime punishable by _death_! _Fiction death!_

But seriously now I hope you guys and gals enjoy this chapter. Since so many of you were wondering what happened to Gaara while the others trained…Enjoy!

"Speech"

_'Thought'_

_(Disclaimer)_

_**Chapter 14:** **A Day in the Leaf**_

* * *

"Hai Osamu-san." 

Bowing once more to the man opposite him, a shrewd and cunning entrepreneur, he spoke once again, "I am Sabaku no Gaara and I you shall be your guard for your trip to Nami no Kuni." The man known as Osamu regarded Gaara with a calculating eye, sizing up the young Chuunin with a critical gaze, "You will be the only protection for this trip?" Gaara nodded solemnly, his emerald orbs emotionless as he faced his clients steely grey stare. "You seem a bit young to undertake this mission alone," Osamu said with a flat, falsely arrogant tone in his speech, "how certain can I be that you will get me to Nami unscathed?" Gaara, not missing a beat and with utterly serious eyes responded, "Not even the breath of the enemy will break upon your skin Osamu-san."

Seemingly satisfied with the answer Osamu nodded and spoke, "Then please Gaara-san, lead the way." Without a word Gaara took point, in this relatively simple C-rank mission; he was to guard a rather wealthy business man on his trip from Konoha to Nami no Kuni. What trade the man was involved in was his personal business but it had Gaara wondering if just a little bit. Osamu's clothing was rough and ragged, his garb akin to that of a highway man or a simple traveler. Slung over the businessman's shoulder was a pack, aged and worn it was brimming with signed and unsigned documents alike along with his carefully packed formal attire. It was obvious Osamu knew what he was doing when he traveled, appearing as an impoverished traveler was a technique not many affluent man employed simply because their pride was held high above their survival.

As Gaara escorted the well-off man he had remembered the Hokage's specific and detailed words regarding this specific mission. Osamu was an individual who pledged much of his fortune to Konoha; he had given a great deal of business with not only himself but his many associates by routing their missions through the great village so it was imperative that nothing happen to him. If not only for the reputation of Konoha then for the hefty source of income he offered to the people of the village. Closing one eye silently Gaara formed another ocular orb from his sand, sending the glinting ball to the sky to keep watch for anything from above.

Staring out into the seemingly endless viridian of the forest Gaara couldn't help but remember what had happened the past couple days. His first day had ended in a less than perfect fashion, after he had accidentally cocooned Nami in his torrents of sand he hadn't seen even so much as a glint of her lustrous blonde hair or shimmering azure gaze. For a moment he felt a small pang in his chest but he brushed it off, he had gained a friend and lost them completely in one foul swoop. To Gaara it was, unfortunately, as common as taking a breath of fresh air…

* * *

After a night of long rest Gaara woke without hurry, the day greeting him with a bright shining sun and an immaculate sea of blue hanging within the wide Konoha sky. His first action for the day, after washing up and eating of course, was to report to the assignment quarters for his first mission as a Chuunin of the Leaf. When he arrived he had the pleasure of meeting the scar-nosed Chuunin Iruka once again and just as he had been the pervious night, Iruka was one of the friendliest of people Gaara had met in a long time. A rather concise conversation later Gaara had walked away from the office with a sheet of paper in his hand, a rather straightforward mission that he was certain he could complete in a day. 

Three hours later Gaara had indeed completed his assignment, a simple information retrieval from one of Konoha's spy's. He leisurely walked the roads of Konoha with a scroll of sensitive information concealed deep within his gourd of densely packed sand. Being Naruto's right hand man he knew when to keep a deadline and when he could slack off. Several years of being the subordinate of an incredibly lax Chaos Kitsune and a rigorously strict Void Kitsune he had developed his timing senses down to a kunai point. However while his punctuality may be absolute he was never one to have the largest pool of luck either.

Seconds after walking into the Hokage's tower he came across three associate Chuunin, one of them being Touji Mizuki of all people. As the three Chuunin passed Gaara's motionless form the two opposing Shinobi shared an intense glare, Mizkui's cold hard eyes against Gaara's stone cold emerald orbs. Sparks flashed between their eyes, bolts of white lightning erupting in midair, before both broke off their heated stare with a sharp jerk of their head. Gaara, a small scowl upon his lips, ascended the stairs to the office of the Sandiame Hokage intent on delivering his debriefing and the scroll of information. Lost within his irritation Gaara proceeded to march through the halls, passing by the reception desk and right into the Hokage's luxurious office without so much as a word to the secretary.

"Gaara-san!" the Hokage spoke in a lighthearted voice despite Gaara's obvious discomfort, "you're just in time to give your debriefing." Noticing the Hokage's jovial attitude Gaara's mood suddenly changed, switching from a twitching irritation to a passive stare, "Hai Hokage-sama." Gaara bowed deeply, coming to rest on one knee before the Hokage's desk prior to giving his report, "I arrived and met the informant eleven kilometers from Konoha. I gave him his monthly payments for his work and I received the information he had gathered."

With a sudden pop the cork on Gaara's gourd flew to the sky, the sand within churning and twisting bringing to the surface his heavily guarded scroll, "I examined the scroll several times over with my chakra and detected no traps or deceit." Outstretching his palm Gaara caught the falling cork, his hand clenching around the large plug before from his gourd streamed a small river of sand and in its clutches a small scroll rolled up tight. Accepting the scroll from the still shifting tendril of sand the Hokage gave Gaara a nod, "good work Gaara-san." "Thank you Hokage-sama," Gaara responded, still bowing as his sand returned to his gourd taking the cork with it, "is there anything more I can do for you Hokage-sama?"

The Hokage took a slow, contemplative puff from his pipe before he carefully began his next words, "Actually Gaara I have been wondering if you would be interested in a very particular C-rank mission." Slightly confused Gaara questioned, "What mission would that be Hokage-sama?" In a flash the Hokage produced several hand seals before the great doors to his office slammed shut, locking with a distinct click and glowing with a light blue hue for the briefest of moments. Moments later the Hokage smiled, "Now I know what Naruto-kun and you have planned for the future. He, or should I say Nobu, explained it to me quite eloquently." Gaara stiffened for a moment before the Hokage chuckled, "Don't worry Gaara, you are safe to speak."

Gaara gulped lightly, praying the old man spoke the truth, "What is the mission…Naruto-sama has wished of me?" The Hokage chuckled lightly, avoiding the question completely as he responded, "The mission I'm offering you is simple; in two days you must escort a man named Osamu from Konoha to Nami no Kuni." Gaara's eyes slowly opened wider, the recognition and realization obvious in his features, "Nami no Kuni?" Sarutobi chuckled with mirth, "Hai, and once you arrive at Nami no Kuni I would also like you to stay a few extra days until a man named Tazuna is ready to come to Konoha." This time Gaara was completely floored, faltering slightly as the bare traces of a smile formed on his lips, "Tazuna-san?"

The Hokage's smile and amusement was almost palatable, "Hai, apparently he has some ideas for the architecture of Konoha that he thinks would be 'super' for our village." Gaara chuckled softly, bowing deeper in respect for the aged Hokage he spoke, "I accept the mission Hokage-sama. I will not let Konoha down." Sarutobi nodded, his teeth grinning around his pipe as he spoke, "You are dismissed Gaara." With a nod and a hand seal the doors shimmered blue for an instant before opening releasing Gaara into the world. The Tanuki vessel walked from the Hokage's office, a smile on his lips and a sense of inner joy so great that he completely missed the flowing tresses of radiant blonde passing him by as a pair of shimmering cerulean pools stared fixedly at his retreating form.

For the rest of the day Gaara was in high spirits, a reserved smile on his lips while he wandered the roads and streets of Konoha. It was most certainly an interesting city and to his surprise a great amount of the people were smiling at him. It was quite a change from the odd looks he had received in the past; part of him began to wonder why the sudden change of attitudes all around. After some thought he didn't bother to continue the paranoid questioning, only accepting the smiles and on some very rare occasions returning them with some of his own modest grins. For Gaara it couldn't have been a better day…that was until he passed by a shop that caught his eye.

Glancing up from the road he read the name of the store aloud, almost feeling the words on his tongue to make sure they fit together correctly, "Yamanaka flower shop." A few moments of deliberation and he turned, heading to the door of the store in a beeline. One door and a small ring later and he was within its walls, his nose being assaulted in so many different ways by the pungent odor of hundreds of flowers. He knew his nose, while sensitive, was no where near Naruto's incredible sense of smell but even he was beginning to get dizzy from olfactory overload.

Praying to locate his objective fast he scuttled through the store, rushing from the front door to the desk in such a hurry the wind rustled the surrounding flowers. Sure enough at the counter was Yamanaka Ino…however it was obvious she had seen better days. At the moment she was face down, his arms curled up beneath her head as she rested upon them. Sound asleep she softly snored, something Gaara would have found rather amusing had he not begun to feel sick from the hodgepodge of innumerable scents.

Clearing his throat rather loudly he watched in explicit pleasure as the napping Yamanaka leapt from her seat and quickly spouting off, "Welcome to the Yamanaka Ino, my name is flower shop how may I help you?!" Gaara chuckled lightly, the entertainment of the scene before him almost too much for even him to not laugh at. "Yamanaka-san?" Gaara questioned his low and soft voice cutting through the air and hitting Ino as if she had been struck by a wayward kunai.

She jumped again, her pale blue eyes wide in surprise as she gaze upon the Shukaku Jinchuuriki, "G-Gaara-san!" Gaara was quick to raise his hands in defense, hoping to placate the raving blonde before another incident could occur he quickly spoke, "I only wish to talk Yamanaka-san, nothing violent or harmful to your person I promise." This succeeded in the desired effect, at least for the most part. Ino was still on the edge of hyperventilating but she didn't scream, instead she asked in a quick and shaky voice, "t-talk?"

Gaara nodded, moving his hands from a defensive blocking to at his sides. Bowing shallowly to the suspicious Yamanaka he spoke, "I want to apologize for my behavior at the hospital. You did not know of the relation Nobu-sama and myself share." Ino took a long hard look at Gaara, her fight or flight reflex working over time but for a moment she was able to scrutinize him closely; her training in the Yamanaka arts of reading and interpretation coming to the surface during her examination. His muscles were lax and his voice spoke without a wavering tone, he vocalized with a calm straightforward quality that allowed her to relax just a slight bit. A few more moments of attentive observation she felt he was telling the truth, his words capturing her attention the moment they were spoken, "it was unnecessary for me to loose my temper and I hope we can put this behind us in hopes of being on friendly terms."

In a slow and careful movement Gaara offered his hand to Ino, his rough palm extended over the counter for her own delicate and talented hand. Staring down at the offer of friendship for a moment she contemplated the result of her next action. It only took the fraction of a second for her to accept, albeit shakily, the extended palm in a gentle handshake, "no problem Gaara-san." She offered the sand user a peaceful smile while Gaara himself returned his own reserved grin; he could feel his karma improve already.

A few more pleasantries later and Gaara left the shop with a lighter spirit and a new acquaintance in the land of the leaves. The rest of his day was many levels less dramatic but the morrow was much more interesting. After meeting with the Hokage personally on his upcoming mission, and being given the finer details of who he guarded and what he was expected to do, he once again found himself wandering the complex and bustling streets of Konoha. Walking the roads of the village at random he was bound to encounter some rather interesting people.

It was rather interesting to him however that the more he noticed the people of Konoha the more he saw the rifts. Amongst the common folk they were happy and joyous, continuing their day with a smile and a cheerful word. It was rare to see glares of any kind and if there was one mean stare there was inevitably another to contest the gaze, conflicts of the past brought to air in the open market. However of the Shinobi he saw a slightly different attitude. He took notice of the older Shinobi, those with greater experience, seemed to hold a heavy atmosphere around them; as if there was something weighting significantly upon their soul. The younger class took after the citizens more than their elder comrades but they too seemed to have a small hint of darkness above them.

It was a peculiar event for Gaara but he brushed it off, Shinobi saw things no mortal should ever subject themselves or others to. Continuing his mid-day walk he came upon something that made both his eyebrows raise in surprise, "Ichiraku Ramen." The name struck a cord deep within Gaara; the memory of something Naruto had spoken of some time ago. Something about those at Ichiraku Ramen being the nicest people in all of Konoha, feeding him even when they knew he held the demon Kyuubi. It only took Gaara a second of his time until he came to the conclusion of where he was going to eat lunch. Brushing away the cloth he ducked into the shop, a flare of golden hair passing by as he entered the establishment.

Allowing his eyes mere seconds to adjust he was surprised to say the least. Naruto predicted quite sadly one day that without him Ichiraku was probably out of business or at least run down to the point of disrepair. What greeted Gaara's eyes was one of the best kept ramen shops he had ever seen in his life. It was as if luxury and ramen went hand in hand in this small, by the way shop. Gaara wandered into the stand in slight awe, looking around before hearing a pleasant voice speak up, "Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen!"

Gaara was slightly stricken by the voice, a young woman with a bright smiling face spoke once more as the gourd laden ninja took his seat, "My name is Ayame, how may I help you today?" Gaara offered his most polite smile as he responded, "A bowl of…" For a moment his mind cycled through what Naruto had told him, what the Kitsune had said about this establishment and its legendary flavors, "one Uzumaki Naruto Special please."

The silence was defining; the only sound that came was the hiss of boiling water and the soft clinking of chopsticks hitting a porcelain bowl. Glancing up to the actual menu he came to the sudden and rather unpleasant realization that there was no such thing at the Naruto Special upon the board. This could not end well in any sense of the word. Before he could respond, even before his sand could react, someone had roughly grabbed hold of his collar and pulled him around on his stool. In a flash Gaara's sand encased the wrist of the person who grabbed him, a cyclopic ninja with a glaring pitch black eye, "How do you know what that is!?"

It took Gaara a moment to recognize the character. His headband was tilted to the side covering one eye while a mask covered his face from his cheeks down concealing his identity. From his hair sprouted several silver locks which defied gravity and reached for the sky only to come up short and fall to the side. Holding Gaara by the collar of his shirt was the infamous Hatake Kakashi, the copy nin of Konoha. Wincing internally Gaara knew this was not going to end well.

"I have learned a great deal of Konoha's history from a good friend of mine," Gaara spoke, attempting to calm the obviously enraged Jounin, "if not for him and I then Uchiha Sasuke would have fled Konoha for Oto." It was an edgy moment in the ramen shop, Gaara's sand shifting restlessly along the Jounin's wrist while said ninja was staring into his emerald eyes searching for the truth. For a second Gaara thought he was going to have to neutralize the tension with a quick Shunshin but at the last moment Kakashi sighed heavily, his eye turning from raving mad to utterly exhausted as he spoke, "I'm sorry, thank you for rescuing Sasuke."

Releasing his chokehold on Gaara's collar Kakashi returned to his seat, lifting his chopsticks from his empty ramen bowl and moving onto his second steaming bowl of broth. Gaara watched the subdued man with interest, barely registering that while Ayame had left to tend to Gaara's order old man Teuchi had taken her place. "I apologize; it's just…well Kakashi is a man who has trouble letting go of his past." Raising his eyebrow Gaara turned to Teuchi with an intrigued face. Recognizing the look of interest Teuchi continued his speech in a hushed tone, not that it mattered since the renowned copy ninja was off in his own little world as it was.

"Ever since Uzumaki Naruto died Kakashi has come in almost every other day and had at least two bowls of ramen," Teuchi spoke with a depressed sigh, "every day Kakashi is here this other Jounin, Maito Gai, comes in spouting things about the 'flames of youth' or something like that and how Kakashi has lost his." Teuchi chuckled solemnly, "I'm beginning to believe him. Kakashi used to take Gai's comments in stride, saying something 'cool' or whatever it was Gai called it but now…now he just doesn't say anything. He just sits there and eats his Naruto Special ramen, talking to himself about his sensei." Gaara continued to stare at the enigma of Hatake Kakashi, staring into that single forlorn eye ringed with black as if he too had felt the painful sting of insomnia.

Teuchi became silent and offered Gaara his ramen, something Gaara took with an eager haste. Just as Naruto had said it was the most delicious meal of pure ramen he had ever had in his entire life. Finishing his first and only bowl he turned to leave, coming to glimpse the disheartened Kakashi as he continued to dwell over his empty bowl. He just seemed to stare into the nothingness the bowl provided, a hollow shell of what no longer existed. Gaara couldn't help but glare a little; it was irritating to see people in that state…it reminded him of how he behaved so long ago.

"The past is meant to stay where it is," Gaara firmly said, his eyes never leaving the disgraced ninja, "if one wallows in it for to long they may get stuck." Kakashi snorted, barely responding to the gourd wielding Chuunin. For a moment Gaara felt his temperate begin to raise from the sheer annoyance this man could inspire within him but he suppressed it, instead continuing with, "I do not know who your sensei was, nor do I have the inclination to care. However what would your sensei say if he were to see you slumped over a bowl of ramen mourning for those who haven't even died?" Those words got the response he desired as the oh-so-feared scarecrow turned to him with a disbelieving eye, "you lie."

Gaara felt a small smirk appear on his lips, his hand reaching into his pocket and pulling out money with which he paid his meager bill. Turning and preparing to exit the simple stand Gaara paid the ragged Hatake one final grin and some parting words, "It takes much more than a simple fire to kill Uzumaki Naruto. I should know; I have seen it attempted many times before." With that Gaara stepped out into the sunny streets of Konoha, immersing himself in the dazzling light of the day. Almost instantly a particularly disturbed and confused Kakashi was hot on his heels. When Kakashi burst out into the streets there was nothing but the common rabble of the mid-afternoon, people haggling with merchants and Genin trading stories as if they were pieces of priceless treasure.

"Kakashi! My eternal rival!" came an incredible shout which could level city blocks given the chance. Seemingly from thin air came the magnificent Green Beast of Konoha, Maito Gai. "Where oh where have your flames of youth gone!?" crowed the eccentric and rather annoying Maito. For a few moments Kakashi stood out in the middle of the street, Gai having a one man shouting match with the famed copy ninja. Slowly, as if drawn by an unseen force, Kakashi's gaze turned to the sky. His eyes were flooded by the endless sapphire of the heavens, reminding him of the one man he had respected above all others. The one man to give him the greatest advice he could get, his sensei, Namikaze Minato.

The past is a funny thing; as much as you want to put it behind you it is pretty much impossible. Whatever has happened in your past, the good and the bad, is what determines who you are to this very day. If you loose a person or persons close to you then a messy myriad of emotions is forever inscribed upon your soul, haunting you to your very death if you let it. There are many ways of dealing with this particular stain; you can suppress everything until it explodes in a mess five times as wide as the original. You can adopt the behaviors of those you have lost, hoping in some way they will forgive you for your short comings. Or you can live every day as they would wish you to, full of life and 'youthful' spirit.

In a flash Kakashi reached into his pouch, such a swift and deliberate action brought Gai onto the defensive believing the man had finally snapped. Guarding himself heavily Gai watched as Kakashi rummaged around in his spacious pouch, as if he had forgotten where the equipment of choice was concealed. In a blur of movement Kakashi brought to his own masked face…the orange, perverted, and all around best seller: Icha Icha Paradise. Gai, staring in amazement, watched Kakashi's single black eye turn to him and heard his voice drone in an utterly bored tone, "did you say something?"

**_End Chapter_**

Not expecting those little twists and turns eh? I've actually got nothing to say about this chapter except I expect many death threats about how I haven't addressed the Hinata issue. Time for Q & A!

Q: Naruto can plant trees?

A: That along with a few other things will be explained in...I dunno. Guess you're just gonna have to find out!

Q: Where is the seed explanation?

A: Somewhere in the future when Naruto and Nobu finally decide to talk about it.

Q: Wouldn't the chakra link make Nobu and Naruto very weak against a Hyuga?

A: Oh yes, it would be deadly but that is why whenever they enter the 'real' world they bond together into full Kuugeki Nobu. Well that and other reasons such as the link is incredibly weak in the outside world as it is.

Q: Has Hinata trained at all?

A: Ok, ok, you people win. When I next decide to focus on the Kitsune Realm again you'll find out just please stop asking or I swear to Kami that I will stretch that far, FAR into the future.

Q: Nobu killed?

A: He's a fast runner and healer so I'm not sure.

Well that's all I've got for now. If you have any more specific questions just ask in your next review or a PM, I think I'll pick them up eventually. I hope you have enjoyed this chapter of my twisted tale, catch you later!


	15. The Blessings

Yo, I have returned with yet another chapter of Crimson Void. And since you all asked so nicely here is the chapter detailing what is happening in the Kitsune realm!

...yeah not really.

Heh, once again this is a little dip into the life of our favorite Sabaku no Gaara. I know I'm gonna get killed but hey it's fun! Hope you like this chapter, remember to read and review, enjoy!

"Speech"

_'Thought'_

_Disclaimer_

**_Chapter 15: The Blessings  
_**

Gaara tended to debate with himself.

It was a habit he had formed when questioning whether it Nobu or Naruto speaking to him. As well versed with the emotional switch between the two as he was there were those fine little details that he had trouble picking apart. Sometimes they drove him insane, those were the moments he swore to Kami that Nobu and Naruto switched off every other word just to mess with him. Even when he did confront the fused pair with his accusations whoever was in charge merely, and rather coolly, stated, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

While at the moment there was no Nobu or Naruto around, Gaara found his mind deliberating to the depths of pure insanity. Had he chosen correctly when he informed Hatake that Naruto was actually alive and rather well? He thought that his cryptic remarks were guarded quite well so he hoped that he hadn't said too much but in retrospect he knew he had laid all of his cards out on the table. It brought a small smirk to dawn upon his lips as he watched, through the magic of his third eye, how Kakashi calmly and casually brushed the repulsively green Jounin off.

Gaara couldn't tell whether the viridian clad ninja was happy with the return of his 'eternal rival' or not but in the end it wasn't his place to decide. For a moment his debate was set aside as the full accomplished feeling of his meddling weighed upon his mind and karma. Gaara couldn't help the low chuckle that rose in his throat, not only had he formed rather peaceful relations with the Yamanaka but he seemed to set the scarecrow back on track. If Naruto-sama could see him now he was certain the crimson haired baka would be proud of him.

"May I ask what it is exactly that you are laughing at?" Gaara's good mood couldn't be broken, not even by the rather heated comment from Osamu. "Oh it is nothing to concern yourself with Osamu-san," Gaara responded with a monotone that betrayed his obvious enjoyment. Gazing through his third eye Gaara scanned the forests repeatedly, keeping a watchful eye out for danger as he allowed his mind to wander once more. This pattern continued for a great deal of the trip, as they peacefully traveled through the country of Fire, Gaara would allow his mind to wander as his senses and Daisan no Me kept them safe…

* * *

It was late in the evening, the sun setting on the far horizon and turning Gaara's already imposing presence even darker as the silhouette of his Kasa reached his very throat. Briefly he was reminded that he had rarely worn the obtrusive hat during his stay in Konoha, his mood too merry to be hidden with the shade of his clothing. However when outside the walls of his new home village he felt a need for the hat, it aided in concealing his identity as well as unnerved many Shinobi when they addressed his shaded face. For a moment he considered removing the sheltering cap but the moment he felt a strong spike of chakra he decided against it. 

Just as he had predicted from the shadows of the trees came a truly colossal rain of kunai, the darkening sky became a sea of black as a massive tsunami of bladed weapons came rushing for Osamu and himself. Osamu, usually stoic and detached, showed the very first sign of emotion since they had begun this little trip, his eyes widening to their maximum in unheard of alarm. Gaara, without a second thought, lowered his head with his chakra reacting on his thoughts alone.

In a tremendous crash the kunai landed, smashing the hapless businessman and gourd wielding Shinobi to thousands of tiny bits. Dust rose up from the mighty attack as well as from the hundreds of Kunai Kage Bunshin which vanished in puffs of smoke, their deadly purpose fulfilled. With multiple clouds of crushed earth still raising from the obliterated area several shadows sprung from the forest, a howling laughter filling the air like a thunderclap. "Yatta! We got him good!" rose the bellowing cry; a crowing the likes not even Maito Gai could reproduce. "Will you shut your trap Goro," came a silky smooth dagger, "Daichi did all the work." A low cackling chuckle accompanied the next voice, swift and edgy, "That I did Shinju, surprisingly easy for Konoha Shinobi." "Ah they're just weaklings is all," growled Goro, landing upon the ground in an earth shaking thump.

Goro was an ogre of a man, towering over any and all with bulking muscles and a monstrous clubbed mace casually held over one shoulder. His head seemed miniscule in proportion to his body which, while rather comical, also proved he was much more brawn than brains. Landing next to the gigantic Goro was a small and lithe female, her movements graceful with an edge of deadliness that could only be cultivated within the life of a Kunoichi. Her skin was pale, the shade of bleached paper, reflecting the moonlight with a dazzling effect. Landing opposite Goro from the female known as Shinju was Daichi, a rather average sized man who dressed himself in wanderer's rags. Visually, he seemed to be the weakest of them all but his raging eyes, psychotic smile, and shockingly large chakra levels said another.

As the dust began to settle Goro laughed loudly once more, "I say after we get the head of that Osamu guy we better break off the head of that Shinobi! He might be worth something!" Daichi cackled to himself, nearly laughing out in hoots of laughter as well, "He might be onto something for once." A seductively serpentine smile graced the lips of Shinju, "I concur." Just as they were about to take a step into the haze of dust they reflexively jumped away, their collective minds reacting to incoming chakra sharply. In a blur of movement a solid tendril of sand lashed out from the thick cover of the dust.

Several feet away the trio watched as a brief gust of wind caught the cloud of particles and blew it away revealing Sabaku no Gaara and Osamu, both standing safe and sound beneath a gargantuan canopy of sand. "I take it you are after Osamu-san," Gaara coolly spoke, the aforementioned man no longer revealing any emotion, merely watching with a pokerfaced stare. Had Gaara seen the expression he might have been flattered that the man had such confidence in his abilities, but as it was he was already busy identifying their opponents. "Akimoto Goro, class B Nuke-nin from Amegakure. Left Ame after deciding that Ame should be more like Kiri by forcing their Genin to take the same brutal graduation exam that even they banned. Known strengths are substantial physical stature and impressive Taijutsu," Gaara offered a small grin beneath his hat, "weakness, his inability to think."

Goro growled dangerously as his partners chuckled at the direct insult. Gaara turned just barely to face Shinju, "Higurashi Shinju, class B Nuke-nin from Amegakure as well. Departed from a noble clan after finding life to 'boring' for her talents. Strengths are her incredible usage of Genjutsu." Gaara turned to Daichi, ignoring Goro's pointed looks for skipping over Shinju's weaknesses while his were brought into light rather bluntly, "Genji Daichi, class A Nuke-nin from Kusa. Departed from Kusa after butchering the entirety of their newly graduated Genin for no other reason than, quote, "it was fun." Should be treated with utmost caution due to incredible chakra reserves and famed ability with Bunshin techniques." Daichi let a sick smile grace his lips as he hissed out, "And I will say it again, the most fun I have ever had. They squealed so loudly."

Gaara's stone face persevered, his raging hatred of the man not breaking the surface of his skin, "For your crimes against this world and the next you will be executed." Goro laughed throatily, "Whacha gonna do Suna-kun? Slap us to death with your frilly little sand?" Gaara let a small grin pass his lips before stifling it swiftly, his shadowed grin never breaking the darkness of his Kasa, "I offer you to attempt a strike at myself or Osamu-san." Despite the open offer Osamu remained composed; his lips even parting in a small mocking smirk knowing something was up this Chuunin's sleeve.

Goro grinned, his hand tightening around the handle of his gargantuan mace as he spoke, "Don't mind if I do!" In an instant Goro was a mountainous blur, racing toward Osamu with the intent to kill the businessman then swiftly dispose of Gaara. Bringing his club down to decimate the traveler he was only able to catch the smallest trace of a smirk on Osamu's normally blank face before the giant was engulfed within a thick carpet of steel hard sand. Gaara watched with the brief flash of an amused grin as Daichi's insane smirk was temporarily forgotten and Shinju's slithering smile was completely erased from her features. Standing behind Gaara was a massive sculpture of shattered rock, Goro's humongous form trapped within what seemed to be barely an inch of sand, motionless.

Frozen in mid swing Goro stood above Osamu, a small smug smirk on the wealthy mans lips as the Konoha Shinobi reached behind him. Gaara's hand was held out to Goro's immobilized body, his eyes still staring into the twisted gaze of Daichi as his finger just barely twitched, "May Kami be kind to your soul." A loud snap filled the area, Gaara's sand twisting sharply breaking Goro's neck like a pair of chopsticks. Daichi just barely winced at the sound while Shinju noticeably jumped. Gaara had the sudden distinct impression that she hadn't killed before. Eroded someone's mind until they couldn't stand to live possibly, but never taken the life of another with her bare hands.

Never the less in a brief twist of Gaara's wrist his sand slid from Goro's body, tossing the mammoth man to the side like a bag of trash while his river of crushed rock vanished into his gourd. Goro's corpse landed with a thud, his head spun around to face his teammates with a look of sheer terror in his eyes. It was an amazing sound Shinju could make with her lungs, her voice screeching out a horrified symphony of emotions. Her eyes were locked with Goro's fear-filled orbs, remembering all the times she had seen that look upon their enemies. Now Goro, a brainless oaf who hadn't even known the word dread, was staring at her in death with the most fright she had ever seen anyone produce.

Gaara's assumption was actually correct, she had never killed, only tricked and deceived while Daichi and Goro preformed the actual slaying. At the very most she had destroyed a few minds with her innate Genjutsu skills but on a whole she was rather innocent when compared to the cold blooded heartlessness of her partners. It wasn't that big of a surprise when she turned tail, her eerily pale skin shining in the moonlight, and ran like her life depended on it. Had she stayed to fight it might have but the moment she left Gaara's sight he no longer targeted her, his focus was upon Daichi and the sins he had committed.

Gaara stared upon the repulsively grinning Daichi with a growing sense of rage and disgust, anger once long forgotten bubbling up once more from the pit of his stomach. Suddenly he took a slow, deep breath, pushing his wrath back the way it came he clapped his hands together in prayer, "Daichi, you have committed atrocities that not even the afterlife can cleanse you of. The sins of your soul are too great to comprehend as only demons may be the only ones to show you pity." Daichi let out a howling cackle, his voice shouting out, "You sound like a damn priest!" Gaara froze for a moment before nodding, "Kannushi Sabaku no Gaara is my official title." Daichi grinned, his ragged and decaying teeth showing, "I'd say your commitment just ended when you killed Goro-baka _Kannushi-sama_! So go off and guard a shrine, I have business with the man behind you."

Gaara didn't move in the slightest as he responded, "I have been given a special ordinance to rid this world of deception and evil." Gaara's eyes snapped open and in a flash his sand lashed out to his rear, demolishing the several mud clones which had attempted to ambush Osamu, "I have been blessed, I have been through the trials. It is all I could do to atone for my own past sins." Daichi sneered, his clones being destroyed by a simple whip of sand, "Sins, what sins could you possibly have _Kannushi-sama_?" Gaara looked up to Daichi, ignoring the question as he spoke, "May Kami be kind to your soul."

In a flash of movement Gaara's sand exploded from his gourd, racing towards Daichi with a speed unheard of to the clone Shinobi. Daichi's eyes shot open in surprise the moment the sand made contact with his skin, easily sheering through his soft flesh. Suddenly Daichi's surprised expression shifted to a wicked grin and he dissolved into a pile of mud. Gaara didn't curse, all he did was speak to Osamu softly, "Osamu-san, get as close to me as you can. I have a promise to uphold and I will not allow it to be broken." Osamu swiftly joined Gaara, near enough to protect but far enough as to not constrict the Chuunin's movements.

From the sky they came, dozens of clones made of chakra, mud, water, and various other materials Shinobi had shaped into clones past and present. They all let out a piercing scream, each of their hands gripping a pair of Kunai tightly as they rapidly descended upon the sand priest and his charge. Gaara merely nodded in their direction, his sand flashing into the sky under his incredible control and slicing through the clones as if they didn't exist. His blade like material tore asunder the enemies advance, turning the various clones into puffs of smoke, globs of mud, or splashes of cold water.

"Shuriken Kage Bunshin!" echoed a shout from multiple directions at once, several hundred shuriken flooding the air and heading for the pair at deadly speeds. Gaara nodded and whispered quietly to himself, "Suna no Muya." Gaara's sand jumped at the obvious order, his massive well of crushed rock leaping to cover his and Osamu's body in a thick shell of chakra compressed sand. The cocoon was pelted by the numerous shuriken, covering its surface so much that it turned a shimmering pitch-black in color.

"Nice try_ Kannushi-sama_," Daichi screamed, his shrunken beginning to vibrate, "but I've got a better trick up my sleeve! Shuriken Bunshin Bakuha!" It was an explosion of immense proportions, a cloud of fire rising to the sky as a concussive wave toppled several trees along the road. All at once the cloned shuriken erupted in balls of flame enveloping the orb of sand in its powerful explosive force. As the eruption of fire dwindled so did Daichi's laughter grow, "That was a good game _Kannushi-sama_ but I'd have to say I win!" From the shadows of the trees came three Daichi's, each one of them carefully stepping into the blast zone as if waiting for another of Gaara's tendrils to envelope them.

With a strong gust of cold wind the scene was revealed, it was most certainly not pretty. The cocoon of sand had been completely obliterated, some parts of the orb still standing while the majority of the bubble was nothing but useless sand upon the ground. In the center of the demolished shield was Gaara, his body face down as blood pooled around his lifeless form. His carcass was cracked and bleeding in several places while his breathing was all but nonexistent. A few feet away was Osamu, roughly in the same position as Gaara but multitudes worse in terms of damage. His left leg was absent, in its place was a dark bloody stump, while his entire cadaver was covered with multitudes of gashes and cuts the likes no civilian has ever seen.

One of the Daichi's laughed throatily, turning to the trees it called out, "They're dead!" From the trees sprang Daichi, a sick grin upon his lips as he casually sauntered over to the fallen priest, "Oh too bad_ Kannushi-sama_ but it seems evil was just to damn good for you!" From the sleeves of his ragged robe came a kunai, gripping it tightly he raised the knife high above his head for a righteous blow, "Goodbye Sabaku no Gaara!" In a swift downward slash Daichi's kunai fell, cutting through the air with a harsh whistle as it dove for the fallen priests head. The moment the kunai touched Gaara's head Daichi knew something was wrong but it was far too late for him to react.

The sharp weapon split through Gaara's head easily, cutting through what should have been flesh and bone as if it were water. Daichi watched as the fallen Gaara and Osamu began to melt, the motionless bodies disappearing into pools of viscous sand. Before Daichi could react the shivering sand engulfed his arm, gripping him tightly and burrowing into his skin with several sharp talons of crushed rock. In a flash of movement Daichi was up in the air, a massive tentacle of sand reaching from the ground, swiftly whipping him around like a boneless ragdoll.

The sand swung Daichi against a tree, his body producing a sickening crackle as well as a loud pop from the strain put upon his now dislocated shoulder. Daichi howled in agony but was quickly silenced as the shifting appendage of sand viciously thrashed, slamming him to the ground with an incredible force. In the blink of an eye the sand promptly compressed, crushing Daichi's arm until his bones were little more than dust wrapped in flesh. The agonized ninja screamed in pain, his banshees wail tearing through the peaceful night. From the gloom of the trees came Gaara, unharmed with a trailing Osamu behind him.

Covering Gaara's clothing were bits and pieces of dirt and mud, his proficiency with Doton no Jutsu no where near enough to keep him completely clean during his underground travel. However true to his word Osamu was spotless; a small bit of sand was easily brushed from his collar showing he had traveled beneath the earth through Gaara's incredible power. Not bothering to brush himself off Gaara approached Daichi, his hand raised toward the cowering criminal, "You will pay for your crimes today Daichi." Gaara could see the total and utter panic in Daichi's eyes, he felt no sympathy as the mystic sand slithered over the Nuke-nin's prone form, "No, no! Please Kannushi-sama!"

It was seconds before Gaara's sand encased Daichi from head to toe; Daichi's panicked visage the last bit of skin to view from the desert coffin. Gaara, hand still raised to the captured ninja, used his remaining hand in prayer for the criminals' corrupt soul, "May Kami grant you peace in the after-" In a flash Gaara's movements and words stopped as his eyes opened to the size of saucers. Daichi's bloody and broken form grinned down from his earthen prison, "nice knowing you_ Kannushi-sama_! Bunshin Bak-" The clones words froze on its lips, its body crushed into the cloud of chakra from whence it came with Gaara's solemn whisper, "Sabaku Sousou…"

* * *

He winced with a painful snarl, "Damned Kannushi! He spoiled all of my fun with his cursed sand!" Feeling the rush of memories from his fallen clone Daichi fell to his knees upon the branch, his body slowly draining itself through his wounded arm. He felt unimaginable bolts of torture through the limb, having just barely been able to Kawarimi away after Gaara's emergence from his underground escape. He had switched with one of his clones hoping that he would be able to explode the Kage Bunshin and eradicate both the target and that…troublesome Gaara. 

Despite his painfully crushed arm, shattered ribs, and sparse chakra he was actually feeling quite good. Surely Shinju hadn't fled completely and once she healed his broken body they would be on their way. Of course once he ratted that sand wielding Chuunin out to his superiors he was certain that there wouldn't be the same troubles a second time around. The delusional psychotic chuckled darkly to himself, his eyes staring down the way he had come as if daring the priest of the sands to follow him. He glared into the dusk, his mad grin cutting through the night as he spoke, "Beware Sabaku no Gaara, I will destroy you."

"Worry about the devil before you worry about the priest!"

The last thing Genji Daichi ever saw was the bright shine of the full moon on finely polished metal…

* * *

It took considerable restraint to remain by Osamu's side, the Suna priest's muscles and chakra tensing sharply, awaiting the insane ninja's return. Hovering about his battle ready form were heavy clouds of chakra laden sand, awaiting their master's call for deadly force. When after several long minutes no adversary returned Gaara forcibly relaxed; muscles falling slightly lax as his chakra releasing its death grip upon his weapon of choice. In a slow, practiced movement Gaara's hands came together, clapping in prayer as his sand reacted to the magnetic pull of his tremendous gourd. In seconds the clouds of sand were no more, Gaara and Osamu were the only ones to remain among the shattered battle field. 

Taking a brief glance around, Gaara came to terms with the true destruction that he and that psychotic Daichi had wrought upon the land. Trenches of torn earth, dozens of kunai and various other items littering the ground along with several piles of mud and puddles of water. Gaara let out a soft sigh, the suffering of nature apparent from a mere glance of the demolished land. His hands still held together he offered a prayer, hoping the gods would forgive him for the destruction caused as well as allowing the escape of wickedness from his sight. Feeling his task complete he once more stared out into the darkness, attempting to sense where the villain had fled. Suddenly a bright spark came to his eyes, a small grin dressing his lips as one of his hands fingered the tags encircling his neck.

"Gaara-san," spoke a voice that Gaara almost hadn't recognized for it had been quite some time since it had made itself known. Turning slightly Gaara faced his charge, the businessman actually smiling to the moderately stunned ninja, "I must say I am rather impressed." Gaara chuckled despite himself and the situation, bowing to Osamu as he spoke, "It is my job as a Shinobi of Konoha to see you are safe Osamu-san." Osamu nodded toward the bowing warrior, "And you do a remarkable job of it. As long as you are within the walls of the leaf my travels shall be yours as well." Slightly confused Gaara spoke, "What exactly does that mean Osamu-san?"

Osamu smirked, "I mean Gaara-san that I wish for you to be my personal body guard for my engagements." Just as Gaara was about to refuse the offer Osamu held up a hand and continued, "My trade is based in Konoha so you will remain a Konoha Shinobi but I wish to have you available for my many journeys around the world as often as you can." Gaara was dumbfounded for a moment, his mind barely processing from both a slight lack of chakra and the implications of Osamu's words.

Osamu was obviously a man who had traveled the open road often, while he conducted his business Gaara could very well meet up with Naruto's 'contacts' and gather their information at his leisure. At the very same time Gaara would be pulling in an incredible income from this man, both benefiting Naruto's ambitions and the village of Konoha. Gaara bowed before Osamu, his voice clear and even as he spoke, "I accept your proposal Osamu-san."

"Good," Osamu said with a smirk and a wave, "now shouldn't you be off killing that ninja that attacked us? He might return to whomever is after me and be prepared for you next time." Gaara stood once more before Osamu, an unnoticeable smile laced within his voice as he spoke, "I do not believe in abandoning the man whom I must guard. That and I have no doubts Daichi has already met his end." Osamu regarded Gaara with a raised eyebrow, "Is that so? How do you know?"

"He's talking about me," came a gruff call from the woods, the gloom of the untouched trees just barely touching the monster of a man, "and he's right, that idiot walked right into me and Haku." The individual speaking was a beast, tall, garbed in a tight sleeveless black shirt and thick black pants. Around his mouth were wrappings of bandages, his face concealed from his cheeks down with the pure white gauze. His hazel eyes were frightfully intense but there was hint of amusement in those fiery orbs. Wrapped around his head crookedly was a long headband, the plate upon the cloth depicted the visage of a fox with a mark across its brow. Resting quite comfortably across his back with the aid of a leather sling was a gargantuan sword, a massive head cleaving blade of enormous proportions.

Gaara turned to face the man, his head tilting up so the shadows of the night no longer covered his small smile, "Zabuza-san." From the darkness of the forests came another figure. Much smaller in proportion than the monster of a Momochi they stood beside, this new arrival held an aura about them that could be called 'pure ice.' Their clothing was rather loose and flowing, a formfitting sweater beneath billowing robes of the most resilient material available; the sandals upon their feet silent despite the wooden bottoms. Their face couldn't be read, it couldn't even be seen for protecting their identity was the elegantly artistic mask of an Oinin. Resting over their shoulder was the pale body of Shinju, a small twitch of her leg proving to the priest she was yet to join the afterlife. Those words, however, could not be said for the cadaver hanging from Zabuza's clutches; in one gargantuan palm hung Daichi's body while in the other swayed the decapitated head of the psychotic Shinobi.

"Haku-san, it's very good to see the two of you," Gaara spoke with a smile, turning to face his charge who could only offer a bemused grin to the sand priest. "You sure do keep some interesting company," Osamu said with a curious grin. Gaara nodded; waving a hand behind him he spoke, "Momochi Zabuza and Momochi Haku, friends of mine Osamu-san." The only indication Osamu recognized the names was a small raising of his eyebrow and his calm collected voice saying, "I knew you were a good choice for my bodyguard."

A few more words, a quick sealing of the decapitated corpse, and they were on their way to the land of waves. Gaara and Osamu were assured only a few hours travel at most to Nami to which Osamu readily agreed and pushed for them to continue. Gaara led the pack along with Haku, Osamu following the stoic pair while Zabuza brought up the rear with his imposing presence and the unconscious Shinju over his shoulder. It was silent for quite a while, only the soft scuffling of sandals against earth resonated through the peaceful night. "Haku," Gaara suddenly spoke, a single emerald eye gazing out from the darkness of his hat to the Shinobi beside him, "how are Zabuza-san and Tsunami-chan getting along?" A soft chuckle later Haku's words drifted through the air, "still fighting like children…"

"I heard that!"

**_End Chapter_**

Oh, I do believe I am some kinda genius! (Not counting the fact that it took me several attempts to spell genius.) Since I don't have much to say it's time for Q & A!

Q: This chapter better be (should have been) Hinata based or the plushies die Rambo style!

A: I have already placed said plushies in the PPP (plushie protection program) so I dare you, try to find them all!

Q: Where was the OC (Nami) in the last chapter?

A: Notice the brief flashes of blonde hair and blue eyes that show up every so often.

Q: Has Hinata been trained yet?

A: Yes, yes, a thousand times yes she has. I just haven't shown it because I wanted to give you a surprise but fine, you'll get it when I get to it!

Q: I like the way you portray Gaara!

A: Um...yeah, hope I didn't ruin it for you this chapter.

Q: Will Naruto show himself to Kakashi at some point?

A: Who wouldn't like to give the scarecrow a good scare?

Q: More Hinata training questions!!!

A: Wait for it damn it! You have less patience than an ADHD infected squirrel on a sugar high!

Q: Wasn't Naruto's existence supposed to be secret?

A: Yes and in a way it still is. Since when has Kakashi gone and blabbed to anyone about anything?

Whelp that's all we have for Q & A, I hope you enjoyed this all and keep reading. We're gonna have some fun in the future, I can guarantee it! Remember to review or this fiction might just go under, I have been known to have bouts of ADD and might forget all about this particular tale. Hope you all enjoyed and remember to spay or neuter your Kitsune! Later!


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